Swim Bans In Place At 3 Beaches On Toms River In Wake Of Heavy Rains

Three beaches along the Toms River have been closed to swimming this week in the wake of heavy rains that pushed through the area over the weekend, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Thirty-one beaches were under an advisory, according to the state's Cooperative Coastal Monitoring Program website.

Beachwood's Beach West, Summit Beach in Island Heights and West Beach at Avon Road in Pine Beach all had swimming bans on Tuesday, according to the state's website. All three tested high for the Enterococcus bacteria, the bacteria associated with E.coli. The standard for enterococcus in a salt water sample is 104 colonies per 100 ml water.

At Island Heights, the sample on Monday registered 1800 colonies; at Beachwood, it was 1300 and at Pine Beach the level was 920.

The three were resampled and test results on those should be available Wednesday, officials said.

Harry Wright Lake in Manchester also was closed to swimming with levels of fecal coliform that ranges from a low of 440 to a high of 1180. The standard for fecal coliform is no more that 200 colonies per 100 ml of water.

Ocean Gate's Wildwood Avenue beach on the Toms River was under an advisory with a level of 160 colonies per 100 ml, according to the Ocean County Health Department.

Also under advisories were the 4th Avenue Beach and North Beach on the ocean in Ortley Beach. The 4th Avenue sample showed a level of 140 colonies of Enterococcus while North Beach had a level of 450 in sampling on Monday. Both beaches were resampled Tuesday.

When a sample exceeds the standard, the beach is re-sampled immediately. If the resample is within the standard the beach is allowed to remain open. If the re-sample exceeds the standard; the owners of the beach area are notified to close the beach to swimming and bathing. The beach will be resampled every day until the sample falls under the standard, then the bathing area may reopen, the DEP said.

Water sample reports from the Ocean County Health Department can be found here.

Image via Patch files