SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — Willard Beach was reopened to the public Wednesday afternoon after being shut down since June 1 due to a break in a force main pipe.
The burst pipe, which carries wastewater, prompted the City of South Portland to close the beach both to repair the break and assure water quality tests came back at levels deemed safe to public beachgoers.
The flow through the force main pipe was stopped and the break was repaired on Friday by the city's contractor, a news release from city officials said Wednesday.
"The beach has remained closed until [Wednesday] afternoon while the City awaited water quality test results that support a safe reopening," the release said. "Bacteria levels in the water are now below the public safety threshold set by the Department of Environmental Protection’s Maine Healthy Beaches Program ..."
South Portland Parks, Recreation, and Waterfront workers repositioned the barricades blocking off beach access Wednesday afternoon to allow beachgoers access again, city officials said.
City officials added workers will continue to remove barriers and signs labeled "Beach Closed" on Thursday.
