Fecal bacteria leads to swimming advisories at 5 N.J. beaches

Five New Jersey beaches are under swimming advisories issued Tuesday afternoon due to exceeding the allowable bacteria threshold, state officials said.

According to the state Department of Environmental Protection’s njbeaches.org, the advisories are posted at the 24th Street beach in North Wildwood, Montgomery Avenue beach in Wildwood City, the 25th Street bay beach in Barnegat Light, the Mount Street beach in Bay Head, and Windward Beach in Brick.

The standard for the acceptable level of enterococcus, a bacteria found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals that can cause urinary tract infections, bacteremia, bacterial endocarditis, diverticulitis, and meningitis, is 104 colonies per 100 ml of water.

Some waterways are typically susceptible to higher bacteria levels after rainfall and associated storm runoff. Rain moved through the Jersey Shore on Monday and Tuesday.

The state tests water quality at 188 ocean beaches, 20 bay beaches, and eight river beaches and issues advisories one day following an unacceptable bacteria level.

Beaches are closed if two consecutive samples collected at a bathing beach exceed the state standard and remain in effect until subsequent sampling indicates bacteria levels are again below the standard, according to the DEP.

State data indicates that the vast majority of swimming advisories are discontinued after retesting, and beaches are very rarely closed.

You can check water quality at your local beaches check water quality at your local beaches here.