Shellfishing is now allowed in Onset Bay and connecting waterways as of Saturday, July 18, announced the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries. 

Shellfishing was closed in those areas on July 5 following a sewage spill from the pump station at the Stonebridge in Onset. 

The spill happened during maintenance necessitated by clogged pumps. Sewer users have been flushing many cleaning and baby wipes, which should never be flushed down the toilet. The system is only equipped to handle toilet paper, and wipes cause clogs which take work to fix and shorten the lifespan of the equipment. These wipes have even begun to cause problems at the town’s water treatment plant. 

Onset Bay was also closed for swimming until July 8.

Sunset Cove is a rainfall management area, and may be subject to additional closures due to rainfall. Those closures would be unrelated to the sewage spill.