NJ beach bacteria: The Shore can't dodge NYC's sewage

Russ Zimmer | Asbury Park Press

Show Caption Hide Caption NJ beach water quality: 5 worst beaches of 2017 The Asbury Park Press analyzed nearly 4,000 water quality tests performed at New Jersey beaches in the 2017 summer. Here are the five beaches that failed bacteria tests most often.

Flare-ups of bacteria connected to human and animal feces have long plagued certain beaches on the Jersey Shore, threatening to sicken swimmers and scare away tourism dollars.

State officials believe New Jersey has fixed some trouble spots ahead of the 2018 season while acknowledging that the overarching problem still exists.

Rain continues to be the best indicator of whether it's safe for you and your family to swim at Jersey Shore beaches. Experts generally suggest avoiding contact with the water for 24 to 48 hours — longer for river and bay beaches — after a heavy rain.

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Storm runoff is believed to be the conduit through which fecal bacteria makes its way from land to water.

You can see the Jersey Shore beaches that exceed the safe-swimming threshold most often in 2017 in the video at the top of the page.

Rainfall carries animal waste from roofs and asphalt through storm sewers. More dangerous to the Shore are the combined sewer systems up north.

Just a short burst of rain in north New Jersey and New York can sometimes overwhelm their outdated infrastructure, which is interconnected to allow stormwater and raw human sewage to mix and be released untreated.

That contaminated stormwater then migrates down to the Jersey Shore, predominantly affecting the beaches of northern Monmouth County. Watch the video below to see what comes with it.

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"Stormwater runoff continues to be one of the state’s biggest water quality challenges," DEP spokesman Larry Hajna said in response to questions from the Asbury Park Press.

It's important to note that even in a somewhat bad year New Jersey's beach water quality was still superior to most other states, including New York and Florida, according to U.S. EPA data.

What we're watching for

Every Monday morning starting in May, county health officials wade knee-deep into the water off of every lifeguarded beach in the state to snag a sample.

They're testing the water for enterococcus, a bacteria that grows inside the intestines of humans and other warm-blooded animals and can be found alongside their feces. This kind of bacteria is considered a warning sign of dangerous pathogens.

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Swallowing contaminated water could result in cramps and diarrhea from gastrointestinal illnesses, according to the National Institutes of Health.

The Asbury Park Press will report on these test results every Tuesday afternoon on app.com. The video below shows how this bacteria data is collected.

Is it safe to swim at the Shore? The state tests nearly all public beaches in New Jersey for the presence of a dangerous bacteria.

Preparations for 2018

While the data is useful for families to make healthy choices, the state also employs these figures to identify which beaches need more scrutiny.

The Borough Council in Highlands closed its two beaches last year after a string of high bacteria tests. The beaches opened in mid-July after an investigation by local and state officials located and eliminated the sources of pollution.

"We did not experience additional problems last summer and expect no additional problems this season," Hajna said.

The tests also revealed the continued water quality issues associated with Wreck Pond in southern Monmouth County.

The average bacteria count at the beaches closest to Wreck Pond was almost three times higher than everywhere else in Monmouth County last year, according to state data.

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Beaches in Spring Lake and Sea Girt were under bacteria watches or closures during five separate weeks last summer.

Wreck Pond's new outfall pipe was meant to benefit native fish populations, but officials hope that it will also help flush the pond and improve the purity of the water within it.

"One off-season may not be enough time to see the full water quality benefits of the new outfall," Hajna told the Press.

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Russ Zimmer: 732-557-5748, razimmer@app.com, @russzimmer