High Bacteria Levels Prompt Swimming Advisories At 3 NJ Beaches

Three bay and river beaches along the Jersey Shore were under swimming advisories on Thursday due to high levels of bacteria, the state Department of Environmental Protection said.

The swimming advisories are at sites in Monmouth, Atlantic and Cape May counties. One of the beaches was under an advisory on Wednesday. The remainder of those eight beaches were no longer under advisories.

New Jersey beaches are placed under a swimming advisory when the concentration of bacteria exceeds 104 colonies of Enterococci bacteria per 100 milliliters of sample, according to the NJDEP's beaches website, NJBeaches.org.

The three beaches under advisories on Thursday are Thompson Beach in Middletown on Raritan Bay; the beach at the base of the Route 52 bridge in Somers Point on Great Egg Harbor Bay, and the 42nd Place Lagoon in Sea Isle City, on the Ludlam Thorofare.

The Sea Isle City site was under an advisory on Wednesday as well, with a level of 120 colonies per 100 ml of water.

Sites on the bays are tested weekly, according to the water quality data on NJBeaches.org.

Sources of enterococci in water include stormwater runoff, sewage discharged or dumped from recreational boats, and domestic animal and wildlife waste.

Swimming in polluted water can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sore throat, runny nose, earaches skin rashes and flu-like symptoms.