Raw Sewage Overflow Shuts Down Swampscott's King's Beach

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — Swampscott and Lynn residents were urged to avoid King's Beach early this week after a combined sewer overflow sent raw sewage and waste directly into the ocean.

The Lynn Water and Sewer Commission reported that the overflow occurred Saturday night at 6:35 p.m. amid that day's heavy rainfall.

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The overflow consisted, or likely consisted, of untreated or partially treated sewage and waste," the Commission said.

Those at the beach were advised to avoid contact with the water for at least 48 hours "due to increased health risks from bacteria and other pollutants."

The closure comes amid renewed efforts to clean up the beach that is routinely considered among the most polluted in Greater Boston.

This summer, Swampscott spent $300,000 on a UV Light treatment pilot program designed to treat the water and make the beach safer during the summer months. The program ended two weeks early amid noise complaints from neighbors of the power generator near the Swampscott/Lynn border as well as the exhaustion of funding.

Results of the pilot program are scheduled to be presented at a Swampscott Select Board meeting in either September or October. While preliminary readings were considered "encouraging," there remain questions about how the treatment could be scaled to cover the entire beach throughout the year and the ultimate cost of such a project.

More on Patch:

• Swampscott Commits $300K To King's Beach UV Light Pilot Program
• Swampscott Weighs UV Light King's Beach Treatment Pilot Expense

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)