The town of Swampscott and the city of Lynn released an updated statement, where the parties stated that the ultraviolet (UV) pilot system is off to a “good start,” according to the statement.
Sound blankets have been placed on the generator and pump enclosures to help with noise reduction, the parties noted in a statement. Sunbelt has conducted an onsite inspection of the pumps to confirm their proper function and made minimal repairs,” the statement read.
“To enhance access to data from the UV pilot program, we have developed an interactive data dashboard that will share water sampling results and air quality results (from the air quality sensors deployed at the UV pilot site and Swampscott Town Hall). Please note that water sampling results for the UV pilot are currently available via a spreadsheet on the City of Lynn’s website, and the air quality results will be available at a later date,” the statement read.
For those interested in keeping up with the latest updates, community members can follow them at:https://www.lynnma.gov/community/king_s_beach/initiatives/u_v_pilot_program/beach_sampling_data
“First, the UV results are off to a good start, but they will certainly vary, which is why we are conducting the pilot,” the statement read. “Almost all the days that the UV has been running, the effluent has had almost no bacteria, except for last Saturday, immediately following a sudden rain event. This is one of the learnings we hope to establish during the pilot — under what conditions the UV will or will not be effective.”
It was noted that while the U.V. pilot appears to be working for Stacey’s Brook; beach closures are based on a broader Department of Public Health (DPH) water quality testing protocol that monitors three points along King’s Beach: Eastern Ave, Peirce Road, and Kimball Road.
The protocol, which was adopted within the last couple of years, closes the entire beach if any one of those samples fails. The protocol aims to protect swimmers, but the two parties are still finding red flags, even when the U.V. system is working as designed.
While Stacey’s Brook effluent shows almost no bacteria, an errant test result occurred at Kimball Road or Peirce Road. Testing of an outfall in the Kimball Road area on June 28 showed elevated bacteria from that outfall after rain. Daily testing throughout the pilot will demonstrate its full effect, and these results will be accessible on the King’s Beach webpage
