Newburyport side of Plum Island will reopen for swimming starting Saturday, 7/11/26. 

From the beginning, the City has taken a careful, data driven approach to this situation, with public health as our top priority. We have continued to monitor testing results from both the Merrimack River Watershed Council and the Newburyport Health Department before making any decision to reopen.

The latest Merrimack River Watershed Council data shows continued improvement throughout the river. That information, combined with seven consecutive days of clean water quality tests from our Health Department at four locations around Plum Island, gives us the confidence we need to reopen our beaches for swimming.

I want to thank our Health Department for its daily testing and careful guidance throughout this emergency. I also want to thank residents and visitors for their patience and understanding while we allowed the data to guide our decisions.

The sewage discharge in Haverhill created a serious public health and environmental emergency for communities along the Merrimack River. Newburyport did not rush this process. We waited until the testing consistently showed that conditions had improved and that reopening was the responsible decision.

Swimming is once again allowed on the Newburyport side of Plum Island. Please continue to use good judgment around the river, particularly following significant rainfall, and pay attention to any future public health advisories.

While I am pleased that we are able to reopen our beaches, this is only the beginning of the work that needs to be done. Communities downstream should not have to face the impacts of aging and failing wastewater infrastructure. Newburyport will continue to use our voice and our platform to advocate for meaningful investments in modernizing these outdated sewer systems. We will continue working with our state and regional partners to push for long term solutions that better protect the Merrimack River and every community that depends on it.

Thank you again for your patience, your understanding, and your trust throughout this process. I’m happy that residents and visitors can once again safely enjoy the Newburyport side of Plum Island.

Mayor Sean Reardon