Several North Shore beaches in Massachusetts are closed due to a wastewater spill in the Merrimack River. The spill, which started on Friday, has released roughly 8 million gallons of untreated wastewater into the river per day.

Repairs Underway

Crews are working 24/7 to install a temporary bypass system to get the water flowing back through the treatment center. Emergency bypass pumping contractors are on site trying to mitigate the issue.

The Town of Ipswich’s Public Health Department closed all its beaches to swimming until further notice, including the popular Crane Beach. The towns of Newburyport and Salisbury have also closed their beaches. Shellfishing beds in Gloucester are closed until further notice.

Water samples were taken from five different beaches for testing on Monday. Results are expected Tuesday, and will help determine if it is safe to reopen the beaches.

Original reporting: NBC10 Boston — read the source article.