13 NJ Beaches Under Swim Advisories For Fecal Bacteria Levels

NEW JERSEY - Three Garden State beaches are still under swimming advisories Wednesday due to high levels of fecal bacteria found in water samples on Monday, officials said.

The advisories at Hollywood Beach in Wildwood Crest, Philadelphia Beach in Cape May City and Albany Avenue Beach in Atlantic City were first issued on Tuesday afternoon, according to NJBeaches.org. Six bay beaches across Monmouth, Ocean and Cape May counties, as well as river beaches in Ocean County, were also issued swimming advisories for the bacteria levels.

The affected river and bay beaches are:

• 57th Street Beach (Avalon)
• Beesley’s Point Beach (Upper Township)
• Highlands Rec Center (Highlands)
• Brooklyn Beach (Lavallette)
• Anglesea Beach (Ocean Gate)
• East Beach Station Avenue (Pine Beach)
• River Beach (Point Pleasant Borough)
• Maxon Beach (Point Pleasant Borough)
• Hancock Beach (Seaside Heights)
• 5th Avenue Bayfront (Seaside Park)

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 NJBeaches.org.

Any initial sample that exceeds the water quality standard results in swim advisories in the area. Two consecutive subpar samples warrant beach closings. There were no New Jersey beach closures reported as of Wednesday morning.

The waters were retested Tuesday and results will be updated Wednesday, DEP officials told NJ.com. The swimming advisory will remain in effect until the water quality results are again within standards.

Sources of enterococci in water include storm water 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.