Massachusetts Beaches Closed Due to Unsafe Water Quality

News Summary

Several beaches in Massachusetts have been closed to swimming due to unsafe water quality, with health warnings issued by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The closures are mainly due to bacterial exceedance, with various factors like sewer overflow and climate change contributing to the rise in beach closures. The main beach at Walden Pond is closed for the summer while construction is underway on a new bathhouse. Residents are urged to stay updated on water quality to ensure safety.

Concord, Massachusetts – As of Friday, June 13, several beaches in Massachusetts have been closed to swimming due to unsafe water quality, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH). The department has issued warnings indicating that swimming in these closed areas can pose serious health risks, including a range of water-borne illnesses.

Swimming in the affected waters can lead to symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, sore throat, fever, rashes, and infections. Most of the beach closures are attributed to bacterial exceedance, meaning the levels of bacteria in the water have surpassed the safety limits established by the MDPH. In addition to bacterial issues, some beaches remain closed due to various hazards related to chemicals, physical conditions like riptides, or poor visibility.

The main beach at Walden Pond in Concord is closed for the entire summer while construction of a new bathhouse takes place. Meanwhile, Red Cross Beach, also at Walden Pond, will stay open to the public, although it will not have lifeguards on duty and will offer limited parking services. The new bathhouse will cost approximately $6.1 million and will span 2,700 square feet, replacing a two-story building that was non-compliant with ADA standards since its establishment in 1947.

Beaches will remain closed until the water quality is deemed safe again, with no specific timeline in place for their reopening. Routine inspections and water quality testing are conducted by the MDPH based on how heavily a beach is used, as well as the history of previous contamination at those sites. Typically, laboratory testing results take around 24 hours, meaning closures could last from one to two days after contamination incidents.

The rise in beach closures has been attributed to various factors, including sewer overflow resulting from heavy rain, and the impact of climate change on storm intensity. Recent reports indicate that Hidden Bay, Jones Town Beach North, and Jones Town Beach South in Dartmouth are now closed due to a “combined sewer overflow” event, highlighting the ongoing issues with water safety.

In addition to those, several other beaches including Nahant Beach, the upper beach of Hopkinton Reservoir, Old Maid’s Park, Beamans Pond, and the upper section of Shannon Beach in Mystic are closed due to elevated bacteria levels. Other notable closures include Ellis Beach and Silver Pond Beach in Athol, with the reasons for the closures listed as “other.”

Despite the closures, the public is still allowed access to the areas of closed beaches for non-swimming activities such as sunbathing and playing sports. Residents are strongly encouraged to heed the warnings issued by health authorities and stay updated on the swimming water quality status to ensure safe conditions for swimming.

Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic

• Patriot Ledger: Massachusetts Beaches Closed This Weekend
• Wikipedia: Water Quality
• MassLive: Mass Beach Closures
• Google Search: Beach Safety
• Live 959: Massachusetts Beaches Current Closures
• Google Scholar: Beach Water Safety
• WROR: Best Places to Watch Sunsets
• Encyclopedia Britannica: Beach