BPHC Lifts Health Advisory at Jamaica Pond

Jamaica Pond Reopens to Regular Recreational Activities​

BOSTON – At the recommendation of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), the public health advisory at  Jamaica Pond in the end of July has been lifted, and the pond is now re-open for recreational activities including fishing and boating. Jamaica Pond had been closed since July 20^th due to a potentially dangerous bloom of blue-green algae. 

The lifting of the advisory follows two weeks of consecutive tests of the pond water which demonstrated algal cell counts below the state's safe limit.  DPH generally recommends that recreational water advisories can be lifted when two consecutive weekly samples show algal cell counts below the safe limit of 70,000 cells/milliliter of water.

Analysis of weekly testing of samples taken from the pond collected on August 3^rd and August 10^th support the conclusion of DPH that Jamaica Pond is no longer experiencing a harmful algae bloom.  On August 3^rd, the level was 66,000 cells/milliliter and on August 10^th, the level was 51,000 cells/milliliter.

All signs that were posted will be removed from the perimeter of the pond on Wednesday.  The prohibition on swimming in Jamaica Pond which predated the algae advisory remains in effect.

For more information, call the Boston Public Health Commission at 617-530-0186.

-BPHC-