Crime & Safety
Jersey Shore Beach Closed For High Fecal Bacteria Levels
The bay beach was placed under a swimming advisory after fecal bacteria levels were found last week, officials said.
SEASIDE HEIGHTS, NJ - An Ocean County beach closed Wednesday after additional testing found harmful fecal bacteria levels this week, officials said.
Hancock Avenue beach in Seaside Heights was first issued a swimming advisory for the bacteria levels alongside a dozen others last week, according to NJBeaches.org. As of Thursday, Hancock Avenue beach remains the only beach that closed following the advisories.
The advisories, issued July 11, were issued for Hollywood Beach in Wildwood Crest, Philadelphia Beach in Cape May City and Albany Avenue Beach in Atlantic City, as well as a string of river and bay beaches, including:
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- 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)
Additional testing at the other New Jersey beaches last week led to the expiration of the swimming advisories.
Advisories at three other beaches - Missouri Avenue beach, Caspian Avenue beach in Atlantic City and Stockton Beach in Long Beach - were lifted Wednesday, per NJ.com.
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The DEP told the outlet that the water at Hancock beach will be retested Wednesday and the results would be released Thursday.
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.
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.
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