County explains reasoning behind water closures ahead of July Fourth

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — As the Fourth of July draws near, San Diego beaches are becoming more and more crowded and causing many people to notice water advisories, warnings and closures.

"I came down and there was a sign over there...it said something about sewage coming from Mexico," said Peter Werner, who is visiting from Czech Republic.

Most locals aren't surprised by the water contact closures that have been in place since December, but visitors aren't happy.

"Disappointing, especially when I came over 10,000 kilometers from Europe not to swim here," Werner said.

But some are willing to take their chances.

"I see a lot of people that are just like well I came all the way to California so I'm just gonna go in anyways," said Imperial Beach resident Trevor King.

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A water contact closure is worse than a warning or advisory.

"When there's contamination, such as sewage or maybe even chemical like an oil spill, state law requires that the water is closed to contact for beachgoers," said Heather Buonomo, Department of Environmental Health Quality Director of Environmental Health.

Buonomo says these spills are often reported after being seen or smelled.

While water contact closures do not require a sample to go into effect, they do require a clean water sample that meets state standards in order to be lifted.

The county tests bacteria levels in the water daily.

"If there is an exceedance of the state standards for bacteria then we would issue an advisory," Buonomo said.

The advisory is then posted on the beaches, leaving the decision of whether or not to get in the water up to beachgoers. However, Buonomo says it's important to note that bacteria levels in the water due to daily water testing do not result in water contact closures.

The county encourages people to visit their website to see if the beaches are open and if there are any advisories.