Dozens of beaches in Massachusetts are closed on Friday, just as warmer and drier weather arrives for the weekend.
As of Friday afternoon, there were 40 beaches closed across the Bay State, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s interactive beach water quality dashboard.
Nearly all of those bodies of water are closed due to harmful bacteria or algae levels, the dashboard indicated.
The dashboard provides updates on an hourly basis throughout the beach season.
Below is the list of closures:
- Puffers Pond (Factory Hollow Pond) @ Mill St. – Bacterial Exceedance
- Puffers Pond (Factory Hollow Pond) @ State St. – Bacterial Exceedance
- Damon Pond Beach (DCR) – Other
- Hopkinton Reservoir Main Beach (DCR) – Bacterial Exceedance
- Mingo Beach – Bacterial Exceedance
- Constitution Beach (DCR) @ Middle – Bacterial Exceedance
- Constitution Beach (DCR) @ North – Bacterial Exceedance
- Constitution Beach (DCR) @ Rec Center – Bacterial Exceedance
- Bucks Creek – Bacterial Exceedance
- Chicopee Beach (DCR) – Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom
- Hidden Bay – CSO/SSO Event
- Jones Town Beach North – CSO/SSO Event
- Jones Town Beach South – CSO/SSO Event
- Merino Pond – Bacterial Exceedance
- Eagle Lake – Bacterial Exceedance
- Kings Beach (DCR) @ Eastern Ave. – Bacterial Exceedance
- Kings Beach (DCR) @ Kimball Rd. – Bacterial Exceedance
- Kings Beach (DCR) @ Pierce Rd. – Bacterial Exceedance
- Grace Oliver Beach – Bacterial Exceedance
- Camp Yomechas – Bacterial Exceedance
- Carbuncle Pond – Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom
- Fearings Pond (DCR) @ Beach 1 – Bacterial Exceedance
- Wollaston Beach (DCR) @ Channing Street – Bacterial Exceedance
- Wollaston Beach (DCR) @ Milton Street – Bacterial Exceedance
- Wollaston Beach (DCR) @ Rice Road – Bacterial Exceedance
- Wollaston Beach (DCR) @ Sachem Street – Bacterial Exceedance
- Whitehall Pond Beach (DCR) – Other
- Children’s Island Back – Bacterial Exceedance
- Children’s Island Wally – Bacterial Exceedance
- Ocean Avenue Beach – Bacterial Exceedance
- Osgood Beach – Bacterial Exceedance
- Peckham Pond @ Camp Nihan (DCR) – Bacterial Exceedance
- Kings Beach – Other
- Watsons Pond (DCR) – Bacterial Exceedance
- Owen Little Way – Bacterial Exceedance
- Tashmoo Beach – Other
- Tashmoo Cut – Other
- Card Pond Beach – Bacterial Exceedance
- Donovans Beach – Bacterial Exceedance
- Pico Beach – Bacterial Exceedance
Bacteria levels can rise for several reasons, including heavy rainfall, algae blooms, and sewer overflows.
If a beach is closed, health officials urge people to stay out of the water to avoid potential illness, as swimming in unsafe waters can result in gastrointestinal and respiratory health issues.
The state conducts water quality testing from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Most closures last one to two days, as laboratory testing of water samples typically takes about 24 hours.
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