11 Ocean Beaches In NJ Under Swim Advisories For High Fecal Bacteria

Eleven oceanfront beaches and a river beach are under swimming advisories on Wednesday, Aug. 19, due to fecal bacteria levels, according to state officials.

Of affected the ocean beaches, 10 are in Atlantic City, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection, which monitors water quality through its Cooperative Coastal Monitoring Program.

Water quality at New Jersey's ocean, river and bay beaches is tested weekly on Tuesdays.

Beaches are placed under a swimming advisory when the concentration of Enterococci bacteria exceeds 104 colonies per 100 milliliters of water, and the testing is repeated the following day.

Beaches are typically placed under swimming bans when the second test exceeds the 104 colonies level. Testing continues until the level drops into the acceptable range.

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.

The beaches under advisories on Wednesday are as follows, with the bacteria counts in parentheses:

In Atlantic City:

States Avenue (320 colonies)
Virginia Avenue (235)
Pennsylvania Avenue (265)
North Carolina Avenue (185)
South Carolina Avenue (180)
Missouri Avenue (140)
Mississippi Avenue (200)
Texas Avenue (125)
Iowa Avenue (110)

In Monmouth County, Elberon Beach Club in Long Branch is under an advisory with a count of 417 colonies.

In Ocean County, the Maxson Avenue beach on the Manasquan River in Point Pleasant is under an advisory with a count of 170 colonies.