Beaches closed as sewer break sends wastewater into Merrimack River
Officials say 8 million to 10 million gallons of wastewater a day are entering the river while crews build a temporary bypass.
- On Friday, two 42-inch sewer main breaks near the South Mill Street Pump Station in Haverhill sent approximately 8 million gallons of untreated wastewater daily into the Merrimack River following torrential rain.
- Friday's torrential rainstorms triggered the initial failure of the 42-inch sewer force main near Haverhill's main pumping station; crews discovered a second break while investigating the damage on Saturday.
- Haverhill Mayor Melinda Barrett said contractors have mobilized an emergency bypass with 2,000 feet of pipe already on site, and crews are working 24 hours a day to restore operations.
- Several Massachusetts beaches, including Plum Island in Newburyport, remain closed Monday as officials urge residents to avoid contact with the river and downstream waters due to potential bacterial contamination.
- While drinking water remains safe and unaffected, state environmental officials are testing waters at Hampton and Seabrook beaches with results expected Tuesday as the city coordinates with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
25 Articles
25 Articles
Haverhill sewage spill underscores urgent need for bond bill to fund climate infrastructure
AS MASSACHUSETTS PREPARES to celebrate the Fourth of July enjoying our rivers and beaches, communities along the Merrimack River are instead checking water quality advisories after a devastating accidental sewage leak. Last Friday, heavy rain induced a major sewer line break in Haverhill, sending millions of gallons of wastewater into the river and to the surrounding beaches on the coast where it empties. This event is a reminder that clean wate…
'We are incredibly concerned': Local officials frustrated by Haverhill sewer discharge
NEWBURYPORT — With beaches along Plum Island closed and swimming strongly discouraged at Salisbury Beach after a sewer line broke in Haverhill sending millions of gallons of untreated sewage into the Merrimack River, local officials on Monday weren’t shy in…
Haverhill sewage spill into Merrimack River has stopped
With 8 million gallons of untreated sewage spilling into the Merrimack River, city and state officials are scrambling to stop the flow and figure out what caused the wastewater pipe to break in the first place.
Shellfishing areas along North Shore closed
Shellfish growing areas ranging from Salisbury to Gloucester have been closed to harvesting and some officials are saying the closures stem from two sewer lines breaks Saturday at Haverhill's wastewater plant that dumped raw sewage into the Merrimack River.
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