Several dozen beaches were closed across Massachusetts on Saturday.
There were 42 beaches closed in total, according to the state’sDepartment of Public Health (DPH).
One of those is the main beach at Walden Pond State Reservation, which will remain closed for the entirety of summer 2025 as a new, state-of-the-art $6.1 million bathhouse is constructed. Red Cross Beach at Walden Pond will remain open with no lifeguards.
The other beach closures were due in majority to high bacteria levels. All beaches closed are:
- Children’s Island – Back in Salem
- Leeside beach in Swansea
- Brackenbury beach in Beverly
- Donovans beach in Winthrop
- Fisherman’s beach in Swampscott
- Halford beach in Winthrop
- Kings beach in Swampscott
- Ocean Avenue in Salem
- Phillips beach in Swampscott
- Sandy Beach in Danvers
- Wrights Pond @ Deep End and at Shallow End in Medford
- Moses Smith Creek in Dartmouth
- Upper Mill Pond in Brewster
- Grace Oliver beach in Marblehead
- Jacknife Harbor in Chatham
- Jones Town Beach North and South in Dartmouth
- Cataumet Harbor in Bourne
- Beamans Pond – Campground and Day Use in Templeton
- Camp Wilder @ Right in Springfield
- Ashland Reservoir – Main Beach
- Crow Hill Pond Beach in Westminster
- Damon Pond Beach in Ashby
- Patuisset in Bourne
- South Pond in Brookfield
- S. Sunken Meadow in Eastham
- Shannon Beach @ Upper Mystic in Winchester
- Tenean beach in Boston
- Constitution (DCR) @ Middle, North and Rec Center in Boston
- Kings (DCR) @ Eastern Ave., Kimball Rd. and Pierce Rd. in LynnBacterial Exceedance,Lynn,53
- Malibu in Boston
- Wollaston @ Channing St., Milton St., Rice Rd. and Sachem St. in Quincy
Why are beaches closed?
Bacteria in beach water can come from a variety of sources, including:
- Stormwater (rain) run-off
- Failing or malfunctioning septic systems
- Combined and sanitary sewer overflows
- Leaking sewer pipes
- Illegal sewer hookups
- Wildlife and pet waste
- Agricultural runoff
In order to ensure beaches are safe for swimming, the DPH tests the waters anywhere from daily to monthly, depending on how likely the beach is to have water quality issues and its popularity.
If a beach is used often or is prone to water quality issues, then it’s tested more often and vice versa, the DPH wrote.
Beaches remain closed until laboratory analysis shows bacteria levels are within the acceptable range for safe swimming.
“Laboratory analysis for all beach samples takes approximately 24 hours,” according to the department’s website. “So it is common for a beach closure to last a day or two following an exceedance.”
What are the risks?
Swimming in beach water that has high levels of bacteria can be risky and can result in illnesses, including:
- Gastrointestinal symptoms- nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain
- Respiratory symptoms- sore throat, cough, runny nose and sneezing
- Dermatological symptoms- skin rash and itching
- Eye and ear symptoms- irritation, earache, itching
- Flu-like symptoms- fever and chills
Therefore, it’s important to check for any warnings or beach closures indicating that the water could be unsafe. To do this, done check the weather, avoid swimming after heavy rain, watch for signs of water pollution like discolored, fast flowing and strong smelling water, do not swim near trash or litter floating in the water, avoid swallowing the water and swim in areas designated as “swim beaches.”
Although a beach could be posted, the public can still visit the location and take part in other activities that don’t involve contact with the water. This can include anything from playing sports like volleyball or frisbee to sunbathing or collecting seashells or sea glass, the DPH said.
The public can also do its part in helping to reduce contamination and pollution at the beach by:
- Cleaning up after pets
- Not feeding the birds as it encourages them to hang around the beaches, which increases fecal matter
- Using public restrooms
- Picking up and throwing away trash using public restrooms or properly disposing of it at home
- Not entering the water when sick or feeling unwell
- Changing diapers and putting plastic or rubber pants, known as swim diapers, on diapered children before they enter the water
- Not dumping anything down storm drains, as water moving through these drains does not get treated at a wastewater facility and flows directly into lakes and streams
- Avoiding the use of fertilizers and pesticides in yards since these chemicals can easily carry into the surface of waters during rain events and snowmelt
- Use walkways and avoid walking on dunes to prevent erosion and preserve vegetation that filters out pollutants from runoff before they reach the beach
More details from the DPH can be found here.
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