Swimming Bans Still In Place At Four Ocean County Beaches

Four Ocean County beaches remain closed to swimming Friday afternoon after another round of water quality testing showed bacteria levels remained at unsafe levels, according to the Ocean County Health Department.

The freshwater lakes at Ocean County Park in Lakewood; Harry Wright Lake in Manchester; and Bamber Lake and Lake Barnegat in Lacey Township all were still closed to swimmers on Friday due to high levels of fecal coliform bacteria, according to the health department.

The beach at Avon Road in Pine Beach, on the Toms River, which had a swimming ban in place since Wednesday, was reopened to swimmers Friday afternoon after levels of enterococci decreased sufficiently, according to the health department.

A. Paul King Park lake in Stafford Township, a freshwater lake, was reopened to swimmers on Friday.

All of the sites with swimming bans were resampled again Friday. While the health department does not post results on its website during the weekend, a 24-hour hotline is available with information about swimming bans. It can be reached at 732-341-9700 ext. 7776 in Northern Ocean County and at 800 342-9738 in Southern Ocean County, the health department said.

The health department said when a swimming ban is implemented, water samples are taken daily until bacteria levels fall to safe levels.

The maximum allowable level of enterococci, the bacteria tested for in saltwater, is 104 colonies per 100 milliliters of water. The maximum allowable level of fecal coliform is 200 colonies per 100 ml.

Heavy rain late last week and through the weekend caused a spike in bacteria levels at bay, river and lake beaches all along the Jersey Shore, with more than 20 affected sites listed Tuesday. But a number of the affected sites, particularly the bay and river sites, were removed from the list Wednesday and Thursday after resampling showed bacteria levels had fallen sufficiently to allow swimmers back into the water.

The Avon Road beach in Pine Beach, had one sample out of three exceed the maximum in Thursday's announced results, showing 120 colonies (the other two had readings of 30 and 40). Updated results posted Friday afternoon showed levels of 30 colonies or less.

The freshwater lakes where swimming bans remain in place all had fecal coliform levels that continue to significantly exceed the maximum levels, with counts of more than 1,000 in at least one sample from each lake.

A. Paul King Park lake, which had one sample at 240 in Thursday's results, had fallen to 200 in Friday's results, with two other samples below that number.

Weekly water tests are conducted on Mondays at saltwater sites and Tuesdays at freshwater swimming beaches.

The lake at Ocean County Park, Lakewood. Photo via Ocean County Parks & Recreation Facebook page