UPDATE: As of Thursday, three lake warnings and the Seaside Park Borough’s 5th Avenue bay beach closure have been rescinded.
Three freshwater lake beaches are under water quality advisories, while a Jersey Shore bay beach has been restricted to swimmers due to high bacterial levels.
According to a Wednesday update on the state beach monitoring webpage, the 5th Avenue bay beach in Ocean County’s Seaside Park Borough was declared closed.
There is no longer a listing for another Monmouth County beach that was under a swimming advisory on Tuesday.
As of Wednesday, water quality advisories are also in effect for three freshwater lake beaches:
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Harry Wright Lake High Beach in Manchester Township in Ocean County.
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Lake Lackawanna Beach in Byram Township in Sussex County
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Sperry Springs Beach in Hopatcong Borough in Sussex County
Before departing, visitors should examine the condition of the local beach and heed any posted instructions from the relevant authorities. Always check njbeaches.org for the most recent conditions.for the most current details.
A beach is placed under a swimming advisory and the water is tested again the following day if a sample contains more than 104 colony forming units of enterococci.
A form of bacterium called enterococci can be a sign that bathing water may be contaminated by human or animal waste.
The beaches will be off-limits to swimming until the second sample drops below 104 if it stays over that threshold.
According to experts, stormwater runoff from rain is typically the cause of high bacterial levels.
Swimming in or coming into contact with contaminated water can result in gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain; respiratory symptoms like coughing, sore throat, runny nose, and sneezing; eye and ear symptoms like irritation, earache, and itching; dermatological symptoms like skin rash and itching; and flu-like symptoms like fever and chills, according to the Department of Environmental Protection.
