Mass. beach closures: Over 45 beaches are closed on Thursday, Sept. 4

Several dozen Massachusetts beaches are closed on Thursday, most of them due to health concerns.

As of Thursday, 47 beaches are closed, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH). Most of the closures are due to high levels of bacteria.

A primary factor in causing bacteria levels to increase in swimming areas is rainwater and stormwater runoff, DPH stated. Additionally, agricultural runoff, animal waste and sewage runoff can all cause bacteria levels to increase and place the health of people at risk.

When people are exposed to water with high levels of bacteria, it can cause them to fall ill and develop gastrointestinal symptoms, respiratory symptoms, dermatological symptoms, eye and ear symptoms or flu-like symptoms, DPH stated on its website.

Cyanobacteria blooms, or algae blooms, also left several beaches closed on Wednesday, DPH stated. These algae produce toxins that are harmful to people and animals.

Lastly, the ongoing closure at Walden Pond State Reservation is in place to allow work  on a new, state-of-the-art $6.1 million bathhouse  that will last all of summer 2025. Red Cross Beach at Walden Pond will remain open with no lifeguards.

• Ashby: Damon Pond Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Ashland: main beach of the Ashland Reservoir — bacterial exceedance

• Beverly: Woodbury Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Billerica: Nutting Lake’s Micozzi Beach, north and south — bacterial exceedance

• Boston: Constitution Beach at the middle, north and recreation center — bacterial exceedance

• Brewster: Cliff Pond at DYS and the main beach, Flax Pond — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Chicopee: Chicopee Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Concord: main beach at Walden Pond — bathhouse construction

• Danvers: Sandy Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Essex: Centennial Grove — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Franklin: Chilson Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Harwich: Seymour Pond — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Mashpee: Santuit Pond at Bryants Neck and Town Landing — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Nantucket: Sesachacha Pond — bacterial exceedance

• Natick: Memorial Beach at Dug Pond — bacterial exceedance

• North Andover: Center of Stevens Pond and Frye Pond Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Oxford: Carbuncle Pond — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Salem: Wally and the back end of Children’s Island, Ocean Avenue — bacterial exceedance

• Saugus: Pearce Lake at Breakheart Reservation — bacterial exceedance

• Sharon: Community Center Beach, Sharon Town Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Sherborn: Farm Pond — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Southwick: South Pond Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Springfield: Camp Wilder Beach, right side — bacterial exceedance

  • Right sides of Bass Pond and Paddle Club — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Templeton: day use area, campground of Beamans Pond — bacterial exceedance

• Tisbury: Hilman’s Point — bacterial exceedance

• Townsend: Pearl Hill Bond Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Upton: Upton Town Beach — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Wareham: Shangri-La — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Westborough: Lake Chauncy Beach — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Wilmington: center and right sides of Wilmington Town Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Winchendon: North Camp Beach at Lake Dennison State Park — bacterial exceedance

• Winthrop: Donovans Beach and Halford Beach — bacterial 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

Stay aware of any warnings or beach closures that indicate that the water is not safe. Check the weather forecast, 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 do not involve contact with the water. This can include anything from playing sports like volleyball or frisbee to sunbathing or collecting seashells or sea glass, DPH stated.

The public can also help 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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Read the original article on MassLive .