IPSWICH – Town of Ipswich Public Health Director Colleen Fermon shares that all beaches in Ipswich, including Pavilion, Crane, Steep Hill, Clark and Little Neck, will be closed for swimming until further notice following an incident in Haverhill that led to an active discharge of untreated wastewater into the Merrimack River.
On Friday, June 26 and Saturday, June 27, the City of Haverhill identified two breaks in sewer mains near its main pumping stations and confirmed that there was an ongoing discharge of untreated wastewater going into the Merrimack River.
While this situation is ongoing, the Town of Ipswich has made the decision to close all beaches for swimming until testing of water samples indicates that the water is safe to swim in. Signage will be posted at each beach.
Today, Biomarine will be collecting water samples from each of the five beaches to test bacteria levels. The results are expected to be available on Tuesday, June 30.
If the bacterial analysis indicates that there are still high levels of bacteria in the water, the closures will remain in place, and additional testing will occur until the numbers return to normal, safe levels.
“We understand that these closures come at an unfortunate time with the incoming heat wave and 4th of July holiday, but this is a serious public health concern. The amount of wastewater discharged into the river has led us to take definitive action for the safety of our residents and visitors,” said Fermon. “We will reopen the beaches for swimming as soon as it is safe to do so. We appreciate the public’s patience and understanding.”
For updates, please visit the Town of Ipswich on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/townofipswich/.
Discover more from John Guilfoil Public Relations
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.