Photo: WBZ NewsRadio Archive
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — More than a dozen beaches in Massachusetts are closed due to excess bacteria levels.
Here are the beaches that are closed as of Tuesday morning:
Boston: Tenean Beach
Dartmouth: Hidden Bay Beach and Jones Town Beach (North)
Concord: Walden Pond Main Beach
Great Barrington: Old Maid's Park
Marlborough: Richard P. Sharon Beach
Nantucket: Miacomet Pond
Revere: Revere Beach (Short)
Salem: Collins Cove Beach, Juniper Point Beach, and Steps Beach
Saugus: Peckham Pond at Camp Nihan
Templeton: Beamans Pond - Campground
Winthrop: Donovan’s Beach and Hartford Beach
“I selfishly love it because I can walk my dog on the beach,” a Dorchester resident told WBZ NewsRadio.
Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and local health departments test more than a thousand public and semi-public beaches for harmful bacteria and algae during peak beach season, typically around mid-June through Labor Day weekend.
According to the Department of Public Health (DPH), those harmful bacteria could originate from a variety of sources, including storm water (rain) run-offs, sewer pipes, agricultural runoffs, and wildlife/pet wastes.
“It washes in when there is a lot of rain which is why we’re having these problems now,” a local resident who works as a groundwater geochemist said. “I study this stuff for a living.”
DPH updates its list of beach closures hourly every day starting at 8 a.m. For the latest updates, visit here.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Chris Fama (CFamaWBZ) reports.