Swimming Ban Remains In Place At Seaside Park Beach

SEASIDE PARK, NJ — A swimming ban remains in place at a bay beach in Seaside Park due to continued high levels of bacteria in the water, according to state officials.

The 5th Avenue beach on Barnegat Bay in Seaside Park has been under a swimming ban since Wednesday. An advisory was issued Tuesday after the weekly water sampling found more than 600 colonies of enterococci bacteria per 100 milliliters of water, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection.

On Wednesday, the swimming advisory became a ban when follow-up testing found 330 colonies per 100 milliliters, and the ban was extended Thursday when a second follow-up showed the level had risen above 600 colonies again.

The levels as of Friday remained above 600 colonies, the state DEP said.

The maximum allowable level of enterococci bacteria in water at bathing beaches in New Jersey is 104 colonies.

Enterococci are typically not considered harmful to humans, but their presence in the environment may indicate that other disease-causing agents such as viruses, bacteria, and protozoa may also be present, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

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