New Jersey Swimming Areas Under Scrutiny for Elevated Bacteria Levels

Several swimming areas in New Jersey are currently facing scrutiny due to elevated levels of fecal bacteria found during water testing across the state. As of June 21, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has issued swimming advisories for five coastal locations in Ocean and Cape May counties.

The advisories were prompted by high levels of enterococci, a type of bacteria commonly used as an indicator for water quality at recreational swimming sites. The coastal advisories apply to Cedar Point Beach and Beachwood Beach West located in Ocean County, along with Wildwood, Bay, Baywyn, and Ferry locations in Lower Township, Cape May County.

The New Jersey DEP regularly conducts water testing at public recreational bathing beaches in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Health and local health officials. The state standards allow no more than 104 enterococci colonies per 100 milliliters of sampled water. Exceeding this limit results in a swimming advisory, and additional samples are collected until the water quality meets acceptable levels.

It’s important to note that a swimming advisory does not automatically lead to the closure of a swimming area. Under state regulations, beaches are closed to swimmers only after two consecutive samples fail to meet water quality standards. They remain closed until bacteria levels return to acceptable levels. As of June 21, the DEP’s monitoring dashboard indicated no active coastal or freshwater closures, although several bayside locations remain under advisory due to detected high bacteria levels.

The advisories come after tests conducted last week. On June 16, elevated fecal bacteria levels were detected at three ocean beaches in Monmouth County and six river and bay locations along the Jersey Shore, as reported by NJ.com. Many of those sites returned to acceptable levels following further testing.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) highlights several potential sources of enterococci, such as discharges from wastewater treatment plants, leaking septic systems, stormwater runoff, sewage from recreational boats, and waste from domestic animals and wildlife. Although enterococci are generally not harmful to humans, they can indicate the possible presence of other disease-causing organisms in the water.

These pathogens may include viruses, bacteria, and protozoa that can cause illnesses affecting the skin, eyes, ears, and respiratory system. The EPA also cautions against consuming seafood harvested from waters contaminated by fecal matter, as it may lead to illness.

Officials are continuing to monitor the affected locations and will collect more samples until the bacteria levels revert to acceptable standards.