Marblehead – As temperatures soar above 90 degrees today, many Marblehead beaches are closed for swimming due to elevated bacteria levels.
The Board of Health closed Gas House Beach, Grace Oliver Beach, Stramski Beach, Sunset Road Pier and Village Street on Thursday after water samples that were taken on Wednesday tested positive for fecal coliform.Marblehead Public Health Nurse Rochelle Bartlett-Ayer said water at the local beaches is tested weekly but when a beach tests positive, it is retested every day until results are within the acceptable range.Ayer said all other Marblehead Beaches have been tested and are open.The beaches were tested on Thursday and the town is still waiting for those results.?We tested the water on Friday too,” she said. “But those results won’t be available until Monday.”Beaches in surrounding communities including Lynn, Nahant and Revere are open for swimming.The Massachusetts Department of Public Health lists water test results for all beaches in the state online at http://mass.digitalhealthdepartment.com/public_21/beaches.cfm.
