People are paying $700 a night or more to stay at the iconic Hotel del Coronado, while San Diego County warns them not to enter portions of the ocean outside. Just a few miles south, residents are being given free air purifiers because pollution from the same Tijuana sewage crisis affecting the Hotel del’s beach is producing unbearable hydrogen sulfide.
Chef Andrew Gruel reacted to the air-purifier program:
Think about how crazy this is: San Diego County is literally giving residents free air purifiers because of the ongoing Tijuana sewage crisis. When government is handing out air filters so people can breathe in their own homes, you’ve gone far beyond an environmental nuisance.
Think about how crazy this is: San Diego County is literally giving residents free air purifiers because of the ongoing Tijuana sewage crisis. When government is handing out air filters so people can breathe in their own homes, you’ve gone far beyond an environmental nuisance. If… pic.twitter.com/5figGSFZrj
— Chef Andrew Gruel (@ChefGruel) July 24, 2026
Another widely shared post put it more bluntly:
There are people in San Diego right now who bought rooms at The Coronado for $700 a night to stay on a shit island. Tijuana has a broken sewer system…
The Hotel del Coronado isn’t really offering much oceanfront these days.
Coronado’s Beach Is ‘Open’ But Don’t Go Near The Water
According to San Diego County, bacteria levels at Coronado North Beach, the Coronado Lifeguard Tower and Avenida Lunar aren’t safe for human contact. Immediately south, the Silver Strand is closed to water contact because of an “imminent health threat associated with a sewage or chemical spill.”
Following failures in a major Tijuana sewer line, testing found significant enterococcus concentrations – up to 288,232 per 100 milliliters – when the health benchmark is 1,413.
The Tijuana River watershed covers 1,750 square miles and drains north across the border and then into the Pacific near Imperial Beach. Tijuana has grown into a city of more than two million people but hasn’t built and maintained its wastewater infrastructure. Undiluted sewage crosses the border, including industrial pollution and trash in addition to what you think this is.
The Free Air Purifiers Are Real—But They Aren’t For Coronado
San Diego County is handing out up to three free air purifiers (and replacment filters) it’s that bad. That’s the Air Improvement Relief Effort program for households in Imperial Beach, San Ysidro, Otay Mesa West, Egger Highlands, Nestor and the Tijuana River Valley. They’re designed to reduce hydrogen sulfide, the rotten egg smell produced as sewage-contaminated water stagnates and decomposes.
A UC San Diego and Scripps study recorded one minute hydrogen sulfide levels up to 4,500 parts per billion and a one-hour concentration of 2,100 parts per billion near the river. California’s air-quality standard is 30 parts per billion.
Unfortunately, this is being run about as well as any government program. Four hundred units had to be recalled because they lacked the activated carbon and potassium permanganate needed to remove gases. The county then awarded a $26.8 million contract for approximately 30,000 better-equipped machines. A losing bidder is challenging that contract, alleging that the county accepted unverified performance claims.
Billions Are Being Spent, But The Fix Is Still Years Away
The United States expanded the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant from 25 million to 35 million gallons per day in 2025. A larger expansion to 50 million gallons per day is planned. Mexico reopened the San Antonio de los Buenos treatment plant and has committed to work on pumps, collectors, river gates and damaged sewer lines. Emergency repairs were completed after two sections of the Parallel Gravity Line failed in May.
For now, Hotel del Coronado remains a beautiful and historic resort. But anyone booking it primarily for an ocean vacation should maybe not? Calling Coronado a “shit island” may be overstated. But if you’re paying their rates… You’d think they might at least waive one of the country’s worst resort fees?
Yikes. That’s pretty bad. I’ve used a FNC there before, and thankfully it wasn’t like this. At least the renovations are tastefully done. They have one of the smallest Nobu restaurants I’ve ever seen (might wanna sit ‘inside,’ for now.)
That’s shitty!
Growing up here in So. Cal., this has been a long standing issue from south of the border. To be sure, there have been spills from local municipal sewage treatment facilities, but noting on the order of what TJ dumps into the ocean every day and it is sad to see and experience. Eventually we will exterminate our own species or at best, wake up when it is already too late. There is an utter lack of concern in many developing nations. China, India, Southeast Asia have very poor environmental protections and are slow to do anything to change that, the ocean is not infinite and can only handle so much of our abuse.
@Matt — Speaking of Citi… 6x Thank You points on dining, Fridays and Saturdays after 6PM EST… with your Strata Elite. Use Gary’s links! Support the blog. *wink*
Locals could pass a hat around and solve this in a few months but like the majority of American voters we would rather eat shit than do something helpful for Mexicans.
@Winston
You obviously have no concept of the corruption in Baja California and Mexico in general, our corruption and graft pales in comparison. You would never be able to put enough into the hat and the proceeds would never make it to the utility company for the necessary upgrades. And why pray tell is it the responsibility of the US to fix Mexico’s short comings? Please tell me who these “Locals” with all the spare millions are? Are you going to be the first to throw your check into the hat? I thought not…..
History can be expensive.
Bordering Mexico is a real shitty place to live. From a former resident of El Paso, Tx.
Gary this reads like a Mad Lib of AI generated copy tropes “The Free Air Purifiers are Real” “Billions Are Being Spent, But The Fix Is Still Years Away”
There was a pipeline that collapsed end of May that led to more dumping than usual. It was fixed in June but takes time for all that to dilute and move on.
Context you won’t find with your AI.
Personally I think it stinks.
Poor Hotel del folks.
https://coronadotimes.com/news/2025/02/14/dod-report-recommends-relocating-seals-training-when-water-is-contaminated/
Dam up the river, let them drown in their own shit.
The sewage has now spread as far north as LaJolla Shores. Gross.
@Mantis – can’t do that because the river flows on both sides of the border at different points. It’s the end point at the ocean that’s the problem. Mexico has been dumping untreated sewage into the ocean for decades.
Maybe now that it’s affecting rich people things will change.
@Mantis — Is that how they handle things in Asia? You know, where you are based, these days. Do tell.
This is taking enshittification to a whole new level!
Hideous! Talk about porous borders.
Where’d someone find $700 a night? I thought their rates pushed $1000/night before taxes and resort fees? I’ve always like the Hotel Del Coronado, just not the check-in nor check-out lines.
This is very timely as we just arrived at the Del Coronado. I did not notice any smell yet but I guess we will stay out of the ocean today.
FYI for 110k points per night we received the worst room in the hotel – a tiny 5th floor dump that was probably designed as the maids quarters. The front desk said they can upgrade us today for a cash co-pay – will report back. Gold status doesn’t mean jack.
$25 for soft drinks and a cookie and $14 for a draft beer. They have you by the cojones as there is little within walking distance. Thankfully the property has been renovated since I last stayed here in 1978.
I grew up in Coronado and it not an area impacted by the odor of the Tijuana River.
I don’t dispute the Silver Strand being closed but I am well aware of the distance between Tijuana and downtown Coronado. Miles away and I am also very aware of the prevailing winds.
I doubt the facts of some of this story.
We have been having soot/smoke filled air in the Midwest while CA takes crap from the Mexicans. Great to have good neighbors.
@Boraxo – there is plenty within walking distance. Brigantine is across the street. A reliable place for the bar, patio, and seafood. Lots as you get toward Orange Avenue. Pub, French, Italian, all within 5-10 minute wallks.
Also a Vons grocery less than 10 minute walk to stock up on drinks
@Gray — Got’em!
@jack the ladd — Was looking at the AQI for Chicago during the worst of the wildfires. Like 500+. Yikes. Made NYC look ‘healthy’ (even though we most certainly were not, either.)
@D Fray Thank you for proving my point!
The Tijuana sewage problem is not easily solved because most of the housing is unpermitted, built on hillsides, and have an open storm drain/sewage system, i.e. combined not separated. Once it is “fixed” it is supposed to have capacity for normal dry days. When it rains it will still overflow into the Tijuana River.
For contrast, my local mechanic can no longer wash the car at his shop, because no runoff from commercial businesses is allowed in the San Diego storm drains.
I’m here for the poop jokes.