47 NJ Beaches At Risk Of Closing Due To Fecal Bacteria, DEP Says

One-third of New Jersey's beaches are at risk of closing because of "unsafe" levels of bacteria found in animal and human waste, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection. Of the 47 beaches at risk of closing, 44 are at the ocean.

UPDATE: 2 NJ Beaches Shut Down After Fecal Bacteria Found At 47 Of Them

The problems were discovered Monday, with all 47 beaches exceeding the bacteria concentration limit of 104 colony-forming units (cfu) of Enterococci per 100 milliliters of water, according to the DEP.

Advisories were issued at 47 beaches which, for the time being, are open to the public. At Tuesday at 4 p.m., 17 of the beaches were still under an "advisory" (see complete list below).

Then, by 7:30 p.m., all the beaches except for two along the state's rivers – Windward Beach in Brick and East Beach Station Avenue in Pine Beach – were no long under an advisory. Those two beaches were closed Tuesday.

Nearly all the beaches exceeded the limit for Enterococci, a bacteria found in animal and human waste, the DEP says. They will be tested again on Tuesday; if these beaches continue to exceed the allowable limits, they will be closed.

Some of the harmful effects of Enterococci are infections that cause fever, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

The same problem happened last week, when 10 New Jersey beaches were found to have "unsafe levels," according to Larry Hajna, a DEP spokesman. Those 10 beaches also tested above allowable levels for bacteria found in human and animal feces.

And just like last week, Hajna said the problem is caused largely by the rain from the weekend, which caused a lot of stormwater runoff that carries animal waste into the swimming areas.

"Birds congregate a lot," he said. "When they defecate, it carries into the water."

Here are the beaches:

Atlantic

• Margate, Clermont Ave
• Margate, Osborne
• Margate, Gladstone Ave
• Ventnor, Washington
• Ventnor, Dorset
• Ventnor, New Haven
• Ventnor, Austin Ave
• Albany Ave, Ocean Front
• Atlantic City, Chelsea
• Atlantic City, Missouri
• Atlantic City, Dover Ave
• Atlantic City, Bartram
• Atlantic City, Illinois
• Atlantic City, Kentucky
• Atlantic City, Michigan
• Atlantic City, Texas

Cape May

• Cape May, Queen North
• Cape May, Philadelphia
• Cape May, Grant
• Lower Township, Richmond Ave
• Wildwood, Montgomery
• Wildwood, Bennett
• Wildwood Crest, Miami
• Wildwood Crest, Lavendar
• Wildwood Crest, Jefferson
• Wildwood Crest, Forgetmenot
• Wildwood Crest, Orchid
• Wildwood Crest, Hollywood

Monmouth

• Deal, Philips Ave
• Deal, Deal Casino
• Deal, Hathaway Avenue Beach
• Loch Arbour, Village Beach Club
• Long Branch, South Bath
• Long Branch, Elberon Bch Clb
• Long Branch, Ocean Beach Club
• Long Branch, Joline
• Long Branch, Atlantic Ave
• Long Branch, North Bath
• Neptune Township, Broadway
• Sea Girt, Neptune Pl
• Spring Lake, York Ave
• Spring Lake, Brown Ave S

Ocean

• Brick Township, Windward Beach
• Pine Beach, East Beach Station Ave
• Point Pleasant Beach, Maryland
• Seaside Park, 5th Ave Bay Front
• Toms River, Shelter Cove

Here is the closure list as of 4 p.m.:

Photo Credit: Alexander Nguyen of Patch