Most North Shore city and town leaders are relieved after several beaches are reopened to swimmers in time for the holiday weekend.
Testing by state officials showed the waters are safe for swimming, clearing Salisbury Beach and the Salisbury Beach State Reservation. Ipswich beaches also reopened — including Pavilion, Crane, Steep Hill, Clark and Little Neck.
“We’re thrilled that the beaches are open,” said Bonnie Roberts, a hostess at the Seaglass Restaurant in Salisbury. “And we are ready to welcome our beloved customers.
“The timing of the closings couldn’t have been worse,” she added. “[But we] would be open for all guests, regardless if beaches were closed.”
In nearby Newburyport, the water still needs to clear. Mayor Sean Reardon said beaches remain closed to swimmers until testing shows normal levels of bacteria.
“We’ve actually increased our testing efforts,” he said. “If we get a number of really positive tests in a row, then we’re hoping by Saturday, we can open the beaches up. But we’re not quite ready to do that yet here.”
Beach closures began last Friday when a sewage main rupture in Haverhill sent nearly eight million gallons a day flowing into the Merrimack River.
The city of Haverhill completed a sewer bypass to stop overflows into the Merrimack River on Wednesday. A 24” bypass line was installed and connected to the Haverhill treatment plant, which is intended to prevent further discharge into the river.
While the ban on swimming was lifted in Ipswich, several shellfish beds remain closed under an emergency order by the state Division of Marine Fisheries, according to Ipswich Town Manager Brendan Sweeney.
“We recognize the hardship this situation has placed on our local shell fishing industry, and we will continue advocating for [the Division of Marine Fisheries] to reopen the beds as soon as it is safe to do so,” Sweeney said in an announcement posted on the town website. “We’re hopeful that upcoming water quality testing will support a quick reopening of the shellfish beds.”
In Newburyport, Reardon advises residents and visitors to still avoid contact with the Merrimack River. He’s disappointed that any of this has happened — but he says Newburyport isn’t rushing the process.
“We realize it’s hot out there, and it’s July 4th weekend,” he said. “But again, the safety of our residents comes first.”
While swimming is still off limits for Newburyport beach goers, Roberts from the Salisbury restaurant said the beaches “are open, the entertainment and music are flowing — and we are ready to rock ’n’ roll.”
