A section of Northport Bay, in the Town of Huntington, will reopen for the harvest of shellfish, The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced today.  All the normally certified areas of eastern Northport Bay will reopen at sunrise on Friday, April 24.

DEC had implemented a precautionary closure of approximately 922 acres in eastern Northport Bay on Tuesday, April 21, following a raw sewage bypass from a damaged pipe serving the Village of Northport Wastewater Treatment Plant. The bypass released untreated waste water into Northport Harbor.  The Village of Northport reported that the broken pipe was repaired before 11 p.m. on Tuesday.

DEC’s decision to reopen the area came after staff examined water samples collected in Northport Bay and Northport Harbor on Wednesday, April 22.  The test results showed that water quality in the bay is suitable for the harvest of shellfish for human consumption.

A recorded message advising harvesters of the status of areas affected by temporary closures is available to shellfish harvesters by calling DEC’s Shellfish Closure Information Line at (631) 444-0480. The message is updated during the course of temporary closures. For more detailed descriptions of areas affected by emergency closures, call DEC’s office of Marine Resources during normal business hours at (631) 444-0492. Additionally, information about temporary closures is available on DEC’s website at: http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7765.html.