(KGTV) — Last July, we highlighted YMCA Camp Surf in Imperial Beach, which was struggling to keep its enrollment up due to the Tijuana River Sewage crisis closing the beach just steps away from the campsite. Staff then turned to drive campers up to Mission Beach so campers could still enjoy the water and activities.
"So summer was pretty rough. We weren't allowed to use our beach here very much," says Brett Tillman, Associate Executive Director at YMCA Camp Surf.
But just six months later, kids were finally allowed to swim in those waters again. Despite the improvement, uncertainty still lingers among staff.
"The uncertainty is one of the hardest things like we will look at these test results in the evening and not know what we're gonna do the next day."
Thursday at Imperial Beach's State of the City address, the decades-long sewage crisis was a hot topic as Mayor Paloma Aguirre highlighted the past year -- calling it a 'gamechanger.'
“We met with every leader willing to listen. Regardless of political party. Because children breathing clean air and families swimming in waters shouldn't be partisan issues,” says Mayor Aguirre.
From securing federal funds to bringing issues on the national level.
"All of the fighting and organizing helped bring this to the national stage, and all of it made clear we weren’t going to take no for an answer anymore."
But she emphasized the fight was far from over.
“We need to address the primary source of pollution, which is the Tijuana River — which means we need state of emergencies from the state and federal level ”
And many in the community recognize the effort.
"So some of the work that's been going on, lots of hard work advocating, that's been going on, can continue to see some progress,” says Tillman.
But it's going to take time.
"There's a lot that still needs to be done, so again, we're cautiously optimistic, but we're looking forward to having those noises, those kids, that laughter, those new experiences here again."
