Brick's Windward Beach Reopened To Swimmers

BRICK, NJ — Swimmers are allowed back into the water at Windward Beach Park, after bacteria levels in the water dropped to acceptable levels during retesting.

Water samples taken from the Metedeconk River at two sites on Wednesday came back with levels of enterococci bacteria well below the maxiumum allowable standard, allowing swimming and wading to resume, the state Department of Environmental Protection said.

The samples tested Wednesday showed 50 colonies of enterococci bacteria per milliliter at the north sampling site and 20 colonies at the south site, with an overall of 40 colonies. That figure was down significantly from Tuesday's overall of 480, with readings of more than 600 from both sample sites.

Monday's reading, which triggered the swimming advisory and retesting, was 260.

The state's maximum allowable standard is 104 colonies per milliliter of water.

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