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2 months ago
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Beachgoers to a beautiful New Jersey beach will have to stick to the sands after town bosses banned swimming in the water for the rest of summer.
Officials in the town of Beachwood, a beach town set on the Jersey Shore, announced the devastating news after high levels of bacteria were found in the water.
The decision was made based on reports from the Ocean County Health Department, which indicated the excessive bacteria level could pose a risk to public health and safety.
The mayor and council explained that the closure is necessary 'for the safety, health, and welfare of the residents and others,' in a statement posted on the borough's website.
Despite the closure of the waters to swimmers, visitors are still welcome to enjoy the sands and the beach's scenic views - but no swimming will be allowed
The beach in Beachwood, New Jersey on the Jersey Shore, pictured, will be closed for swimming for the rest of the summer after high levels of bacteria were found in the water
Reports from the Ocean County Health Department, which indicated the excessive bacteria level could pose a risk to public health and safety. Above, Beachwood beach in New Jersey
'For the safety, health, and welfare of the residents and others, the Mayor and Council have decided to close swimming at the beach for the remainder of the 2024 season due to the Ocean County Health Department reporting of excessive bacteria levels found in the water,' the announcement reads in full.
'You may still sit and take in the lovely view of the scenery, but no one will be permitted to swim,' the statement continued.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's guidelines state how the water quality standard for bathing beaches is determined by the concentration of enterococci bacteria - a microbe common in the feces of humans and animals.
It can lead to illness including gastrointestinal conditions and it has been known to cause infections in the ears nose and throat, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
If the concentration exceeds 104 colonies per 100 milliliters in two consecutive samples, the beach must be closed.
The measure ensures that pollutants impacting bathing waters do not pose a health risk to the public.
The beach is not set on the Atlantic Ocean but instead set slightly inland on the Toms River, feeds into the Barnegat Bay.
Ocean County Public Health Coordinator/Health Officer Dan Regenye said that the beach's fecal bacteria level has historically been a problem.
"In my 30 years here it's always historically come back with some issues in terms of some of the high counts I know we've done a lot of work historically with the borough and with the county engineer with the DEP looking at the potential source," Regenye told New Jersey 101.5.
Regenye believes the location along Route 9 might be part of the problem.
"It sounds like a little cove where it doesn't get a good flushing so stuff kind of gets trapped which I think is what kind of exacerbates what the issue is," Regenye said. "It just re-circulates and doesn't have the ability to dilute as quickly.
"Obviously we want to be able to get this open and have it safe as soon as possible," Regyne said.
This is the second year in a a row that swimming will be banned at Beachwood Beach.
Last year, swimming was once again off limits after borough officials were unable to hire lifeguards at the time after only receiving one application.
Beachwood officials have assured those who purchased beach permit badges for the seasons that they will be refunded in due course, Above, Beachwood beach in New Jersey
Beachwood officials have assured those who purchased beach permit badges that they will be refunded in due course.
A report earlier this month found more than half of America's beaches contain potentially dangerous levels of feces.
Testing carried out at more than 3,000 beaches across the country's coastlines showed that 55 percent had unsafe levels of sewage in their waters on at least one day last year. One in nine beaches had persistently unsafe levels last year.
Experts say around one in 30 people who swim in sewage-contaminated water are at risk of getting sick - either by swallowing water, which can lead to stomach problems, diarrhea, abdominal cramps and vomiting, or through infections.
Southern states along the Gulf Coast — including Florida, Texas and Louisiana — were the worst affected, with 84 percent of their beaches having at least one day in 2022 when the water was contaminated with feces.
Dangerous bacteria that can eat away at flesh can be found at beaches and vacations nationwide. Several examples of places where they have been detected are shown above
The above breaks down US coastal areas into regions. It reveals that the Gulf Coast was worst affected, with 84 percent of beaches unsafe for swimming at least once last year, followed by the West Coast and the Great Lakes region
Americans make 400 million visits to the beach every year, according to The United States Lifesaving Association.
But there have been concerns over the quality of water for years.
Colorado-based pressure group Environment America compiled the data as part of its annual 'Safe for Swimming?' report.
Feces can be swept into the sea after storms, with rainwater causing drains and sewage systems to overflow and spill their contents. It can also be carried into the sea by rivers that pick up manure from industrial farms.
The latest report was based on figures from the National Water Quality Monitoring Council, part of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which tracks water quality at beaches across the United States.
A total of 3,192 beaches were included in the report. On average, states test the water at their beaches for sewage contamination about once a week.
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