New Jersey's Dirtiest Beaches

You might wonder why certain beaches close more than others. The reasons are very simple, even if eliminating the problems has proven difficult.

Numerous beaches at the ocean have been closed over the past 17 years due to the three most common forms of contamination: sewage, high levels of bacteria and stormwater runoff. Patch compiled a list of the beaches that have reported the highest number of incidents in these three categories since 2000 (see list below).

River beaches typically have appeared high on the list compiled by the state Department of Environmental Protection because of animal waste and local runoff. But the two beaches that appeared at the top of Patch's list are at the ocean; each reported more than 100 incidents since 2000.

The reporting is compiled by the Department of Environmental Protection, which administers the New Jersey Cooperative Coastal Monitoring Program from mid-May to mid-September, while local health departments monitor recreational beach water quality.

The New Jersey State Sanitary Code requires that the concentration of bacteria not exceed 104 colonies of Enterococci bacteria per 100 milliliters of sample. Enterococci is a type of bacteria that is an indicator of possible contamination within bathing waters.

There are two categories of actions that take place when water quality exceeds the recreational standard:

• Advisories: Any initial sample that exceeds the state standard requires that the local health agency issue a swimming advisory at the bathing beach where the sample was collected. Swimming advisories warn the public of potentially unhealthy water conditions. Additional sampling is conducted until water quality results are again within the standard.
• Beach Closings: Beaches are closed if two consecutive samples collected at a bathing beach exceed the state standard. Beach closings remain in effect until subsequent sampling indicates bacteria levels are again less than the standard.

Clean Ocean Action has been at the forefront of spreading awareness on beach contamination and lobbying the DEP to take action at beaches that are regularly polluted.

Last year, the group compelled the DEP to take action against Agate Construction Co. Inc. for illegally dumping muck and debris into the ocean off Deal.

“They were caught with mud on their hands by local defenders of the ocean and must be held accountable. Let this serve as a clear message to others, if you pollute you will be caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent of ALL laws,” said Cindy Zipf, executive director.

Here is the list of beaches, and their locations, with the most number of incidents involving stormwater runoff, bacteria and sewage since 20001:

• Brown Ave S, Spring Lake, Monmouth (Ocean) 134
• The Terrace, Sea Girt, Monmouth (Ocean) 131
• York Avenue, Spring Lake, Monmouth (Ocean) 127
• Beacon Blvd, Sea Girt, Monmouth (Ocean) 112
• Beachwood Beach West, Beachwood, Ocean (River) 93
• L Street Beach, Belmar, Monmouth (River) 61
• Windward Beach, Brick Township, Ocean (River) 45
• West Beach Avon Road, Pine Beach, Ocean (River) 33
• Maxon Avenue, Point Pleasant Boro, Ocean (River) 17
• Shark River Beach and Yacht, Neptune Township, Monmouth (River) 25
• 25th St Bay Front, Barnegat Light, Ocean (Bay) 15
• River Avenue, Point Pleasant Boro, Ocean (River) 15
• Summit, Island Heights, Ocean (River) 14
• Hancock, Seaside Heights, Ocean (Bay) 13
• New Jersey Avenue, Somers Point, Atlantic (Bay) 12
• East Beach Station Avenue, Pine Beach Boro, Ocean (River) 11
• Wildwood, Ocean Gate, Ocean (River) 11
• 16th St Bay Front, Surf City, Ocean (Bay) 10
• 5th Ave Bay Front, Seaside Park, Ocean (Bay) 10
• North Bath, Long Branch, Monmouth (Ocean) 10
• Stockton, Long Beach Township, Ocean (Bay) 10
• Deal Casino, Deal, Monmouth (Ocean) 9
• Anglesea, Ocean Gate, Ocean (River) 8
• Ideal, Middletown, Monmouth (Bay) 8
• Reese Avenue, Lavallette, Ocean (Bay) 7
• New Jersey, Long Beach Township, Ocean (Bay) 7
• South Bath, Long Branch, Monmouth 7
• Worthington, Spring Lake, Monmouth 7
• 14th St Bay Front, Ship Bottom, Ocean (Bay) 6
• Laird, Long Branch, Monmouth (Ocean) 6
• Money Island, Toms River, Ocean (River) 6
• New York Blvd., Sea Girt, Monmouth 6
• Ocean Park, Bradley Beach, Monmouth 6

Below is the list of the 15 most contaminated ocean beaches:

• Brown Ave S, Spring Lake, Monmouth 134
• The Terrace, Sea Girt, Monmouth 131
• York Avenue, Spring Lake, Monmouth (Ocean) 127
• Beacon Blvd, Sea Girt, Monmouth (Ocean) 112
• Deal Casino, Deal, Monmouth 8
• North Bath, Long Branch, Monmouth 8
• South Bath, Long Branch, Monmouth 7
• Worthington, Spring Lake, Monmouth 7
• Laird, Long Branch, Monmouth 6
• New York Blvd., Sea Girt, Monmouth 6
• Ocean Park, Bradley Beach, Monmouth 6
• 9th Street, Ocean City, Cape May 5
• Leeward Street, Beach Haven, Ocean 5
• North Carolina, Atlantic City, Atlantic 5
• Pennsylvania, Atlantic City, Atlantic 5

Patch file photo