Giant Sewage Overflow Shuts Down Portland’s East End Beach and Tr

Save your trip to the beach until next week... there's a lot of sh*! going down on the end of the peninsula.

Early Thursday morning, a million-gallon spill washed out a portion of the east end trail that borders the Portland sewage plant, closing the trail and East End Beach. According to Press Herald, the wastewater had already gone through a part of the treatment process that removes solids from the waste. That's about the only silver lining here.

With Peaks to Portland coming up on Saturday, organizers immediately questioned whether the swim could continue as planned.

“We know people have worked hard to be able to do this race,” <a href="https://www.pressherald.com/2018/07/26/sewage-overflow-washes-out-section-of-eastern-prom-trail/">said Meaghan Woodsome</a>, the marketing director of the YMCA of Southern Maine. “We want to be able to hold it but we obviously want to make sure it’s safe for everyone.”

Portland Water District Spokeswoman Michelle Clements noted this is the first time such a spill has occurred, according to Press Herald. She added the water treatment plant is back online and functioning properly Thursday, and cleanup should be swift. “Our engineers are on site assessing the damage and we are reaching out to contractors to get property and trail restoration started promptly,” Clements said.

Follow Portland Trails for updates on social media regarding the trail's recovery progress.