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Newburyport Closes Plum Island Beach After Massive Sewage Spill

6/29/2026

25 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

The city of Newburyport, Massachusetts closed Plum Island Beach on Saturday after raw sewage entered the Merrimack River.
Public Works director Robert Ward said a 42-inch sewer force main broke, prompting discovery of another break.
Ward estimated 8-10 million gallons of raw sewage a day will flow into the Merrimack River.
The city will install two 24-inch bypass lines.
A contractor said a fix could be ready by Friday.

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Story summary

The city of Newburyport, Massachusetts closed Plum Island Beach on Saturday after raw sewage entered the Merrimack River.
Public Works director Robert Ward said a 42-inch sewer force main broke, prompting discovery of another break.
Ward estimated 8-10 million gallons of raw sewage a day will flow into the Merrimack River.
The city will install two 24-inch bypass lines.
A contractor said a fix could be ready by Friday.