Downtown Beaches Back to Open to Swimming

The City of Ocean City lifted a ban on bathing at three downtown beaches early on Tuesday afternoon.

Swimmers are back in the ocean at Eighth, Ninth and 10th streets.

The city had due to a localized sewer leak. And with the wind shifting to create a southerly current, the city added a swimming restriction at 10th Street on Tuesday morning.

The cause of the leak was a grease blockage in a sewer line that left a small amount of backed-up sewage on the street in the area. As a result, material discharged into the storm drain system that flows through outfall pipes into the ocean.

A pair of outfall pipes are located on either side of the  off the Boardwalk between Eighth and Ninth streets. 

Water quality samples collected by the Cape May County Health Department tested negative for any contamination, and the beaches were reopened as soon as the city got the resuts on Tuesday, according to Ocean City Community Services Director Jim Mallon.

He said the swimming restriction was standard practice as a precautionary measure. Swimming was restricted at Stenton Place Beach last week after a similar sewage leak, and water sample tests came back negative for any sewage reaching the ocean.