People advised to stay out of Maine river due to poor wastewater quality - WMTW Portland

People asked to stay out of Kennebunkport River due to wastewater

People advised to stay out of Kennebunk River due to poor wastewater quality

Town officials are warning people to avoid swimming and other water activities in the Kennebunk River because wastewater from the Kennebunkport Wastewater Treatment Plant is not meeting quality limits.

The town of Kennebunkport issued the advisory Wednesday after consulting with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.

There is currently no advisory for Colony Beach and Kennebunk Beach. The town said it would be receiving new beach testing results on Thursday and would advise the public once those results are received.

Kennebunkport officials said the town had received complaints about the odor and murkiness of the output from the wastewater treatment plant into the Kennebunk River.

On Sunday, the town notified the public the Kennebunkport Wastewater Treatment Facility identified an ongoing denitrification issue. Denitrification is a naturally-occurring process when organic material decomposes and intensifies on higher-temperature days.

According to the town, workers at the treatment facility had adjusted the chlorine disinfection process to meet the necessary standard before discharging wastewater into the river.

Town officials had said that test results were within the quality limits as recently as Tuesday afternoon.