Raw Sewage Shuts Down Mass. Beaches

Massachusetts is experiencing the summer's first heat wave and residents of Essex County (northeastern part of the state) have nowhere to swim! Forecasters are calling for temperatures to feel like 110 into the holiday weekend. I hope you have a pool, or even better, a friend with a pool.

What's going on?

A broken 42 inch sewer pipe in Haverhill has been dumping 8 million gallons of raw sewage a day into the Merrimack River, which happens to flow into some of the most popular beaches on the North Shore.

Plum Island in both Ipswich and Newburyport is closed. Crane Beach in Ipswich, one of the most visited beaches in New England, is closed. Salisbury Beach is closed. Multiple Essex beaches are closed.

It's not abnormal for The Massachusetts Department of Public Health to temporarily close beaches every summer due to high levels of bacteria, but this is an isolated incident thus far. Most often, it's stormwater runoff that causes the bacteria levels to rise.

The Mayor of Haverhill hopes to report that the situation is under control by the 4th of July.

"I am optimistic that we will have one of the temporary pipes that will take our normal day's flow completely and totally to the waste treatment plant sometime within the next 24 hours. I think that will essentially save the Fourth of July from, you know, ruin." -cbsnews.com

What actually happens when you swim in contaminated water?

Swimming in contaminated water can cause illness and skin rashes. Raw sewage exposure can also lead to stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, ear infections, and E. coli. Children, elderly residents, and anyone with a weakened immune system face the greatest risk.

Swimming in the Berkshires

Pontoosuc Lake, Onota Lake, Windsor Lake in North Adams, and Cheshire Lake are all right here in the beautiful less populated 413!. Just remember to always check current water quality at mass.gov.