Shellfishing Banned in Bristol Harbor After Sewage Plant Malfunction

The state Department of Environmental Management has announced and emergency shellfish closure in Bristol Harbor after a malfunction at the Bristol Wastewater Treatment Facility.

The closure is in response to a “lack of disinfection that resulted in elevated bacteria levels in plant effluent” at the plant, the DEM said in a release.

The closure is in addition to existing areas where shellfishing is prohibited. The DEM was notified by the town on Tuesday morning about the plant disinfection malfunction.

The Bristol Harbor Master will collect water samples on Tuesday to test for fecal coliform bacteria levels before the DEM decides how long to keep the closure in place.

The specific areas include: all waters North and East of a line from the Southern tip of Poppasquash Point, Bristol to the Southwestern extremity of Arnold Point in Portsmouth, where a DEM range marker has been established. Refer to the attached map as reference.

In addition, to accommodate previously scheduled delivery of oyster seed, all aquaculturists in areas where the emergency shellfish closures have been enacted will be allowed access to their leases for the purposes of preparing for and planting the oyster seed. All other activities on the aquaculture lease, including but not limited to the harvest of shellfish, will remain prohibited until the water quality is acceptable to allow for harvest.

Aquaculturists seeking permission to prepare for or plant seed under this emergency authorization are required to contact Dave Beutel, CRMC’s aquaculture coordinator at 401-783-7587.

A DEM investigation of the failure is underway. The facility is currently operating normally.