Splash pad for kids, families coming to Imperial Beach Pier

Why this matters

Cross-border sewage has closed Imperial Beach’s shoreline for long periods of time in recent years. As of mid-June, the beach has been closed for nearly all of 2025.

The South Bay sewage crisis has pushed many off the shores, leaving Imperial Beach’s waterfront property lacking the usual flow of beach and restaurant-goers.

The new splash pad near the pier could change that.

Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre said during a City Council meeting last month that while she hopes the water pollution that has shut down Imperial Beach’s shoreline for months will be remediated soon, the splash pad is “a great alternative” in the meantime. 

“Our kids (and) grandkids haven’t had the opportunity to go and access our coast and they don’t know why,” Aguirre said. “This is a way that we can provide an amenity for them to recreate by the beach without the risks that our coastal waters bring.”

From the Documenters

This story came from notes taken by Brian Jenvey, a San Diego Documenter, at a Imperial Beach City Council meeting last month. The Documenters program trains and pays community members to document what happens at public meetings. Read the note here.

Featuring ground-level jets and seat walls, the splash pad will be a paved, open space for families and kids.

The $1.5 million project, funded by the Port of San Diego, includes the splash pad, landscape areas and accessibility upgrades that will help connect access from the pad to existing showers and restrooms in a nearby commercial structure. It will replace a playground and part of a perimeter wall at the Portwood Pier Plaza.

City councilmembers unanimously approved the plan. Once permits are secured and designs are finalized, construction is estimated to begin January 2026 with the project to be completed by the end of the year.

The city will work with the port to help address any negative impacts the construction could have on nearby businesses. Officials said they believe the new splash pad will ultimately attract more customers.

The Imperial Beach Pier and Portwood Pier Plaza have been undergoing upgrades since 2021 under the port’s efforts to encourage more visitors. Other work includes fresh paint on the Tin Fish Restaurant, the lifeguard tower and public restrooms, as well as the addition of themed murals, new fishing rod holders, a shade canopy and other repairs.

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Type of Content

News: Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.


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