3 Jersey Shore Beaches Under Advisories For Fecal Bacteria

OCEAN COUNTY, NJ — Three Ocean County beaches are under swimming advisories Thursday due to high fecal bacteria levels, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

All three are river beaches. They are Maxson Avenue and River Avenue in Point Pleasant Borough and East Beach Station Ave in Pine Beach.

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All tested above 104 colonies per 100 milliliters of water for the Enterococci bacteria, the NJDEP said.

The state tests coastal waters at more than 200 sites every Monday during the summer season through its Cooperative Coastal Monitoring Program, which is a partnership among the NJDEP, the state Department of Health and local health authorities.

Advisories warn swimmers of potentially unsafe conditions. Beaches will close if two consecutive samples exceed the water quality standard.

Enterococci, a bacteria found in animal and human waste, can be an indicator of poor bathing water quality. Swimming in water with high levels of enterococci can be harmful to your health, according to the DEP.

Sources of enterococci in water include storm water 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.