Barnegat Light Beach Under Swimming Advisory After Bacteria Test

BARNEGAT LIGHT, NJ — A bayside beach in Barnegat Light is among 13 beaches in the state that are under a swimming advisory after water tests showed the presence of high fecal bacteria.

A total of four beaches in Monmouth County and nine beaches in Ocean County have been placed under the advisory, including the 25th Street Bay Front.

Read more: 13 Beaches In NJ Under Swimming Advisory After Bacteria Test

Each week, the NJDEP conducts water quality monitoring at 180 ocean and 35 bay monitoring stations along the New Jersey coast. The samples are analyzed for the presence of Enterococci – a bacteria found in animal and human waste. High levels of this bacteria are an indicator of poor bathing water quality.

The samples taken this week showed high levels of Enterococci. The New Jersey State Sanitary Code requires the bacteria concentration to not exceed 104 colonies per 100 milliliters of sample.

In water samples collected Monday at the 25th Street Bay Front, the state Department of Environmental Protection found 150 colonies per 100 milliliters. The follow-up samples taken Tuesday showed 180 colonies per 100 milliliters, the DEP said.

The swimming advisory will remain in effect until the water quality results are again within standards, the DEP said.

Enterococci are typically not considered harmful to humans, but their presence in the environment may indicate that other disease-causing agents such as viruses, bacteria and protozoa may also be present, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

A higher presence of Enterococci becomes more likely after heavy rainfall, which can flush bacteria from bird, dog, or other animal waste into rivers and streams.

The 25th Street Bay Front was closed earlier this summer in July after officials found bacterial levels more than five times the DEP's standard.

With reporting by Sarah Salvadore, Patch staff.

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