Two New Jersey beaches are under swimming advisories after recent water samples showed elevated levels of Enterococci bacteria, which can indicate possible fecal contamination.
The advisories do not close the beaches but warn swimmers to use caution until follow-up testing shows the water meets safety standards.
The beaches affected are Ocean 7th Avenue in Asbury Park, Monmouth County, and 25th Street Bay Front in Barnegat Light, Ocean County.
State regulations call for an advisory when Enterococci levels exceed 104 colonies per 100 milliliters of water. Exceeding that threshold raises the risk of illness for swimmers, including gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea or vomiting, as well as eye, ear and throat infections. If two straight samples come back high, officials close the beach to swimmers.
Officials urge visitors to check the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Beach Action Dashboard for the latest conditions before heading to the shore.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.