Following the results of a survey last month which found many South Bay households have reported their health had worsened amid an ongoing sewage pollution crisis, county leaders will present and discuss the findings Tuesday.
At Tuesday's regularly scheduled County of San Diego Health Services Advisory Board meeting, Dr. Ankita Kadakia, the county's interim public health officer, will speak about the results obtained in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey conducted in October 2024.
Over three days in that month, surveyors visited 480 homes in South Bay communities. Of those visited, 333 answered the door and 189 agreed to be interviewed. Despite the smaller sample range, researchers said the homes were in "select clusters" intended to be representative of the area.
The results of the Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) survey found that nearly 70% of people interviewed in San Ysidro, Nestor and Imperial Beach had reported a health symptom they believed at least in part was caused by polluted water and air near the Tijuana River Valley.
"We are grateful to all the residents who took part in the CASPER survey and for the partnership with the CDC in getting this done," Kadakia said in mid-January. "These results validate the concerns residents of the South Bay have been voicing and the real impacts the sewage contamination is having on people's lives, physical and mental health.
"Collecting this information represents an important step forward in strengthening our collaboration with local, state and federal partners."
A full 80% of those surveyed believed their quality of life was negatively impacted by the pollution, 67% believed their health had gotten worse since the problem rapidly worsened in recent years and 18% had sought medical care as a result of the sewage crisis.
The most common health concerns reported were headache, nausea or upset stomach, cough and irritated throat.
Not surprisingly, considering more than 70% reported they could smell sewage inside their homes, and the problem got worse at night.
Other key findings from the survey included:
— 65% took extra steps to avoid certain areas like river water and beach water;
— 59% said their overall stress increased; and
— 28% said they changed their drinking water source since the sewage crisis began.
The county responded to the findings with recommendations to scientists and elected officials, including using social media to share resources, educating how the drinking water is tested to be safe, promoting mental health resources and working with local veterinarians on pet health issues.
Shortly following the CASPER survey, the federal Assessment of Chemical Exposure survey from the CDC's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry was completed in November 2024. It asked 2,150 San Diegans who spend time around the Tijuana River Valley and South San Diego County about the effects of being near contamination.
Those results should be available in the next couple of months, a county statement read.
The complete results of the survey can be found online.
The Health Services Advisory Board will meet at 3 p.m. in the County Administration Building, 1600 Pacific Highway, room 302 or it can be watched via Zoom.
