Local News
As the sewage spill in Haverhill worsens, more downstream beaches are closing due to unsafe bacteria.
Crane Beach in Ipswich. Courtesy of The Trustees, File
Multiple beaches along the North Shore remain closed to swimmers as untreated sewage continues to spill into the Merrimack River following two sewer main breaks in Haverhill last week, just as a major heat wave is expected to hit the New England coast.
Plum Island Beach in Newburyport remains closed to swimming, while several beaches farther south in Ipswich and Essex, including Crane, Little Neck, Steep Hill, and Clammer’s Beach, have also closed due to elevated bacteria levels linked to the sewage spill.
Farther north, beaches in New Hampshire remain open for now. However, the most recent water quality tests at Hampton Beach and Seabrook Beach were conducted before the spill occurred.
In a statement issued on Monday, Newburyport Mayor Sean Reardon said that approximately 8 million gallons of untreated wastewater have continued to enter the Merrimack River each day since the breaks on Friday.
Emergency contractors are working nonstop to create a temporary bypass system to divert wastewater to a treatment plant.
“This situation is deeply concerning and completely unacceptable,” Reardon said in a statement. “Our first priority is protecting the health and safety of Newburyport residents while working with our state and regional partners to bring this environmental emergency to an end as quickly as possible.”
He said that the closure of Plum Island Beach would remain in effect until repairs are completed and water quality testing confirms conditions are safe for the public.
With the Fourth of July holiday weekend quickly approaching, Reardon expressed concerns about the broader impacts on public health, local businesses, tourism, and recreation throughout the Merrimack River region.
Residents and recreational users are advised to avoid contact with the Merrimack River in the vicinity of Haverhill and downstream until further notice.
“We are facing what could become both a public health emergency and an economic hardship for many of our local businesses that depend on visitors during one of the busiest weeks of the year,” Reardon said.
Essex:
- Clammer’s Beach
- Front Beach
Ipswich:
- Clark
- Crane
- Little Neck
- Pavilion at Main
- Sandy Point – Plum Island (DCR) North and South
- Steep Hill
Salisbury:
- Salisbury Beach Center at Broadway St. and Main St.
Beth Treffeisen is a general assignment reporter for Boston.com, focusing on local news, crime, and business in the New England region.
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