SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — South Portland city officials said Tuesday that Willard Beach will remain closed while water quality tests are conducted.
On Thursday, a force main pipe running along the beach that carries wastewater to the city's water treatment facility burst, prompting an indefinite closure of the popular beach situated along Southern Maine Community College's campus.
The beach has remained closed since Thursday.
When the pipe burst, city officials said in a release Tuesday that the nearby pump station was disabled to stop the flow through the pipe.
"[The City] also activated its contractor, Shaw Brothers Construction, and ultimately identified and repaired the break on Friday," the release said.
Water testing has been conducted by the city's Water Resource Protection and Parks, Recreation, and Waterfront departments since the closure to ensure it meets standards set by the Department of Environmental Protection’s Maine Healthy Beaches Program, according to the release.
"Today, the city reviewed results from the initial water tests, collected yesterday, Monday, June 5," the release said. "The tests yielded results in two locations that are above the threshold for bacteria levels considered safe by Maine Health Beaches. The sample that was taken closest to the site of the force main break is below the Maine Healthy Beaches public safety threshold, indicating that there is not a significant residual effect from the break in the sewage force main."
"Higher than acceptable levels" reportedly resulted from tests taken near the stormwater outfall, which city officials said is a large pipe near the Willard Beach bathhouse.
"This is not an entirely unusual finding, considering the amount of rain we’ve had recently," Fred Dillon, stormwater coordinator for the city, said. "We will continue to test and reopen the beach only when it is safe to do so."
"Safety is a priority at Willard Beach and all of our parks," Karl Coughlin, South Portland’s Parks, Recreation, and Waterfront director, said in the release. "We are eager to welcome visitors back to Willard, and will reopen as soon as we responsibly can."
The break in the force main pipe is currently under investigation by the city's Water Resource Protection department.
City officials added Willard Beach's water is expected to return to acceptable testing levels naturally "with time and tidal cycles."
"Willard Beach will remain closed on Wednesday, June 7, and potentially longer, as the City awaits a return to normal test results," city officials said Tuesday.
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