CORONADO. CALIF. (KGTV) — Friday, Coronado and Imperial Beach residents gathered for a 'Stop The Sewage'Rally at Central Beach in Coronado.
The Coronado and Imperial Beach shorelines are closed this holiday weekend due to polluted waters.
It's the third holiday weekend that sewage contamination has kept people out of the water.
"Every year that passes with the crisis, we see less and less people at our beaches," said Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre during the protest.
Protesters chanted and held signs that read 'Clean Water Is A Human Right' and 'Stop The Dump.'
For decades, cross-border sewage contamination from the Tijuana River has plagued the South Bay.
Earlier this week, 20,000 gallons of sewage was spilled onto streets in the South Bay after pumps at the wastewater treatment plant failed.
Mayor Aguirre called it a public health crisis.
"We've had to cancel our junior lifeguard program. That's not right," she said.
Coronado resident Marely Ramirez, who co-organized the rally, said they're creating an alliance with Imperial Beach to raise awareness about the issue.
Protesters are demanding Governor Gavin Newsom declare a state of emergency.
"It's got to be declared now because the funds are needed now. We can't allow this to continue," Ramirez said.
Stephanie Kaupp showed up in a hazmat suit with feces stains printed on it.
"This is the crap -- excuse the expression -- that people deal with when they go in the water," Kaupp said as to why she wore the costume.
She says she wanted to make her frustration loud and clear on how much of a hazard the contamination is to our coast.
"It's impacting our health, our economy, our Navy Seals, people who worked around here and we're sick of it," Kaupp said.
