HAVERHILL, MASS. (WHDH) - Several beaches along the North Shore are currently closed as crews continue to work to fix a sewage leak stemming from a broken sewer line in Haverhill last Friday.
During a storm last week, officials said a pressurized sewer line broke in two spots near the City of Haverhill’s main pumping station, sending wastewater flowing into the river. The City’s Department of Public Works (DPW) Wastewater Division estimates that approximately eight-million gallons of wastewater per day are entering the Merrimack River.
The City of Haverhill is continuing to urge people to avoid contact with the Merrimack River in the vicinity of Haverhill and downstream until further notice.
According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, all beaches on Plum Island, Salisbury Beach, Sandy Point Beach in Beverly, and Ipswich beaches are closed to swimmers due to contamination concerns.
— Hannah Cotter from the North Shore —
“Very disappointed because naturally one of the best parts of the experience is going in the water, and the healing properties of saltwater,” said Philip Sevigny, a beachgoer.
“We’ve got family coming in from out of town, and if it doesn’t get fixed by this weekend they are going to not be abel to go swimming,” said Benjamin Aiken, a resident. “That’s why we are playing basketball instead of playing on the beach. Even fishing, I feel a little grossed out fishing.”
The impact is also extended to shellfishers, with the state issuing an emergency shellfish closure for parts of the North Shore until testing shows the water is safe.
Crews are actively fusing sections of bypass pipe and installing a temporary pipeline from the South Mill Street Pump Station to the Haverhill Wastewater Treatment Plant as part of their flow restoration efforts.
In a statement, the DPW wrote in part, “Construction and bypass installation crews will be working 24 hours a day until the temporary bypass system is fully operational and wastewater conveyance to the treatment plant has been restored.
The City continues to coordinate closely with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and other regulatory partners throughout the response. Every effort is being made to minimize environmental impacts and restore normal wastewater operations as safely and quickly as possible.”
The City of Haverhill says its drinking water remains safe because it is completely separate from the damaged sewer system.
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