Jersey Shore Beach Closed For High Fecal Bacteria Levels

SEASIDE HEIGHTS, NJ - One Jersey Shore beach remains closed Thursday due to high levels of fecal bacteria found in water samples, officials said.

Hancock Beach, a bay beach in Seaside Heights, closed Wednesday, according to NJBeaches.org. The beach closure will remain in effect until the water quality results are again within standards.

BEACH REPORT AUG 9, 2023🧵

🏊All lifeguarded beaches are open today, except Hancock bay beach in Seaside Heights, Ocean County is closed for swimming
— njbeaches.org (@NJBeachReport) August 9, 2023

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.

The closure comes after 12 oceanfront beaches, three bay beaches and one riverfront beach were placed under swimming advisories earlier this week for the high levels of fecal bacteria.

All advisories have since expired. The beaches affected by the swimming advisories were:

• Michigan Beach, Atlantic City (Ocean)
• Arkansas Beach, Atlantic City (Ocean)
• Connecticut Avenue Beach, Atlantic City (Ocean)
• Kentucky Beach, Atlantic City (Ocean)
• South Carolina Beach, Atlantic City (Ocean)
• Rev. Dr. MLK Jr. Blvd. Beach, Atlantic City (Ocean)
• New York Avenue Beach, Atlantic City (Ocean)
• Roosevelt Avenue Beach, Deal (Ocean)
• Highlands Rec Center, Highlands (Bay)
• Miller Beach, Highlands (Bay)
• Elberon Beach Club, Long Branch City (Ocean)
• Ocean Beach Club, Long Branch City (Ocean)
• Broadway Beach, Neptune Township (Ocean)
• New York Boulevard Beach, Sea Girt (Ocean)
• River Beach, Point Pleasant Borough (River)
• Hancock Beach, Seaside Heights (Bay)

All Environmental Coastal Monitoring Network (ECM) stations at New Jersey beaches, which monitor coastal water quality, were up to par on Wednesday except Broad station along Raritan Bay in Keyport, Cedar Bridge Manor station along the Metedeconk River in Brick Township, Cedar Point station along the Toms River in South Toms River and Baywyn and Bay station along Delaware Bay in Lower Township, according to NJBeaches.org.

Last week, six Atlantic County beaches - three in Longport, two in Margate and one in Ventnor City - were issued swim advisories due to high levels of fecal bacteria found in water samples. All six advisories have since expired.

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.