What to Know
- 10 New Jersey beaches have tested for higher-than-acceptable levels of fecal bacteria
- Five beaches have been closed because of the tests, five are yet to open
- The beaches were found to have unsafe levels of a bacteria found in animal and human fecal matter
Ten beaches along the Jersey Shore have tested above allowed sanitation levels for bacteria tied to human and animal intestines and feces.
One of the beaches, which is not yet open, had more than six times the acceptable level of Enterococci, a type of bacteria found in animal and human waste.
Five beaches are under advisory following these results and five other beaches tested above safe levels but are not yet open for the season, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
State sanitary code states that bacteria concentration cannot exceed 104 colony-forming units (cfu) of enterococci per 100 milliliters of water.
Affected beaches under advisory include:
- Monmouth Beach, Pavilion Beach, 160 cfu, advisory
- Somers Point, New Jersey Avenue, 105 cfu, advisory
- North Wildwood, 2nd and JFK, 120 cfu, advisory
- North Wildwood, 10th and JFK, 116 cfu, advisory
- Wildwood, Montgomery Avenue, 110 cfu, advisory
Affected beaches not open yet include:
- Middletown, Thompson Avenue, 160 cfu, not open
- Highlands, Community Center Beach, 670 cfu, not open
- Ocean Gate, Wildwood Avenue, 300 cfu, not open
- Ocean Gate, Angelsea Avenue, 300 cfu, not open
- Upper Township, Beesley’s Point, 120 cfu, not open
County officials test water weekly at 180 ocean and 35 bay stations near all life-guarded beaches in New Jersey.
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Rain often spreads the bacteria into the ocean water from sewers.
More tests were conducted Tuesday and the results will be released Wednesday. If a beach fails again, it will be closed until the bacteria levels lower.
Check back at NBC 4 New York for the latest readings and closures.
