ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – In a welcome development for beachgoers and environmental enthusiasts, it has been confirmed that the water quality at all 218 Clean Coastal Waters Program (CCMP) water monitoring stations across New Jersey is clean and within the required standards.
Moreover, the beaches spanning from Sandy Hook to Cape May have also been declared safe for swimming, boasting pristine and refreshing waters.
The water quality standard for bathing beaches in New Jersey is determined by the concentration of enterococci, a type of indicator bacteria. The state’s Sanitary Code mandates that the concentration of these bacteria must not exceed 104 colonies per 100 milliliters of sample. This strict regulation ensures the protection of public health and the maintenance of high water quality standards.
When an exceedance of the water quality standard occurs, two types of actions are taken: Advisories and Closings.
In the case of an initial sample exceeding the standard, a swimming advisory is issued by the local health agency responsible for the specific bathing beach.
These advisories serve as a warning to the public about potentially unhealthy water conditions. Additional sampling is then conducted to monitor the water quality until it meets the required standard once again.
Beach closures are implemented when two consecutive samples collected at a bathing beach exceed the water quality standard. In such cases, the beaches remain closed until subsequent sampling indicates that bacteria levels have returned to levels below the standard. This precautionary measure ensures the safety and well-being of beachgoers.