A Suffolk beach has reopened after pollution problems kept it closed for nearly a decade.
The Centerport Yacht Club beach was shuttered to swimmers seven years ago because of water quality concerns.
News 12 is told that red tide hasn't been seen at the beach for the past three seasons after the county upgraded Northport's wastewater treatment facility. County officials say pollutants have been reduced by 50 percent since 2008.
The Suffolk County Department of Health has declared it safe to swim at the beach once again. On Monday, the "no swimming" sign was officially removed.
Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, says it was the result of years of hard work. "What we did is we upgraded the sewage infrastructure, we upgraded the stormwater piping and educated the public, and it worked."
Esposito says it's a formula she hopes will be used to clean up other Long Island beaches. "There is a lot to do and we're really working hard to do it," she says.