San Diego County is asking South Bay residents to put a dollar figure on years of foul smells, sick days and closed beaches.
A new survey aims to tally the economic hit from the Tijuana River sewage crisis, inviting residents, business owners, visitors and community organizations to report losses tied to beach closures and pollution. The questionnaire is part of a broader Tijuana River Sewage Crisis Economic Impact Study that county officials say will guide funding requests and long-term response plans. County staff expect surveys to remain open for at least four weeks and to publish findings in fall 2026.
What the survey is trying to count
According to the County of San Diego, the study combines literature and data reviews with interviews and economic modeling to calculate losses across businesses, tourism, property values, schools, and public services.
The county’s public engagement portal notes there are tailored versions for residents, business owners, visitors and community organizations, and estimates the community survey takes roughly five to twenty minutes to complete (Engage San Diego County). Officials say blending hard numbers with lived experience is meant to give county supervisors stronger evidence when they go after state and federal aid.
A backdrop of health impacts and long-running closures
The new survey follows Board of Supervisors directives from 2025 that ordered both an economic impact analysis and a long-term epidemiological health study, county records show (County Legistar).
Researchers and federal agencies have documented chronic exposures and environmental damage, and data cited by AP notes that more than 100 billion gallons of mostly untreated sewage have crossed the border since 2018. Earlier county outreach found roughly three-quarters of business respondents reported negative impacts, underscoring the immediate economic pressure on South Bay communities.
Where the money and policy levers are headed
The Board has already set aside funding for mitigation and studies, and supervisors approved nearly $9 million for a pipeline project and related initiatives earlier this year, according to KPBS.
Advocates have pushed for a dedicated “sewage crisis” coordinator and stronger binational agreements to deliver long-term fixes, a push tracked in regional reporting and local coverage (sewage showdown).
How to take the survey
The county says the survey is open now for at least four weeks and offers different question sets depending on whether you are a resident, business owner or visitor. NBC 7 San Diego has also aired a short report and video explaining how the questionnaire fits into the broader study.
For background on beach closures, public health guidance and additional resources, residents can check the County’s Tijuana River Valley & Beach Sewage Crisis page (county webpage).
County officials say getting a fuller accounting of direct losses and ripple effects will make it easier to argue for repairs and aid that could blunt the crisis’s harms. For South Bay residents and business owners still dealing with closures and odors, the survey is the latest attempt to turn years of complaints into policy and funding commitments.
