Mass. beach closures: Over 50 beaches are closed on Wednesday, Aug. 27

Massachusetts health officials have closed dozens of beaches across the state, most of them due to health risks.

On Wednesday, 51 beaches were closed to the public, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH). Several of these were because of high levels of bacteria, when rain/stormwater runoff, sewage, animal waste and other factors can increase bacteria levels that are potentially harmful to people.

Elevated bacteria levels can be harmful to people if exposed to the water, DPH's website reads. People exposed to water with high levels of bacteria can fall ill and develop gastrointestinal symptoms, respiratory symptoms, dermatological symptoms, eye and ear symptoms or flu-like symptoms.

Officials closed other beaches because of cyanobacteria, or algae, blooms, according to DPH. Algae blooms can produce toxins that are harmful to people and animals, but can be preventively treated to limit the risk to people and animals ahead of time.

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.

• Amesbury: Glen Devin Condominiums — bacterial exceedance

• Beverly: Woodbury Beach — bacterial exceedance

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

• Braintree: Smith Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Brewster:Cliff Pond at DYS and the main beach — 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

• Framingham: Learned Pond Beach and Saxonville Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Franklin: Chilson Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Georgetown: American Legion Park — bacterial exceedance

• Harwich: Seymour Pond — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Holden: Eagle Lake — bacterial exceedance

• Holliston: Pleasure Point and Stoddard Park — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

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

• Nantucket: Sesachacha Pond — bacterial exceedance

• Natick: Cochituate State Park Beach — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

  • 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

• Quincy: Merrymount — bacterial exceedance

• Revere: Short Beach — bacterial exceedance

• 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

• 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

• 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 Chauncey Beach — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Wilmington: center

• and right sides of Wilmington Town Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Winchendon: North Camp Beach and day use beach at Lake Dennison State Park — bacterial exceedance

• Winthrop: Donovans Beach, Halford Beach and Winthrop 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 .