Contaminated Beaches in New Jersey: Health Advisory Issued for Dangerous Bacteria in Water

New Jersey's summer season has begun with public health warnings issued for multiple recreational areas due to concerning water quality. State agencies and local health departments have alerted the public after detecting high concentrations of bacteria associated with fecal contamination in various beaches and lakes.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (Njdep) conducts weekly water quality monitoring at coastal beaches, bay areas, and lakes. When monitoring reveals bacterial levels exceeding sanitary standards, authorities post advisories or temporarily suspend access to the water. This summer, several locations reported Enterococci bacteria levels at 370 colonies per 100 milliliters, significantly surpassing the state's sanitary code limit of 104 colonies.

Enterococci bacteria, normally found in the digestive tracts of warm-blooded animals, serve as an indicator of potential biological contaminants from waste. While not directly causing illness, their presence signals the risk of other harmful microorganisms. Contact with contaminated water can lead to various health problems, including skin, eye, ear, and digestive infections, prompting these advisories to minimize public exposure while further testing continues.

“

The State Sanitary Code requires that the concentration of bacteria not exceed 104 colonies of enterococci per 100 milliliters of sample.