Beach and Bay Water Quality Reports
Dr. Kate Connors, the main character in Nocturne, Opus 1: Sea Foam, always checks the beach water quality before she allows her three-year-old daughter to play in the water. In my last post, I described how the state of Delaware reports its beach and bay water quality testing results to its tourists and local residents. Can you share with us where your state posts its recreational water quality test results?
In New Jersey the Cooperative Coastal Monitoring Program, CCMP, is administered by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. It provides an explanation of its program and the Monday water quality testing results for New Jersey's beaches at http://www.nj.gov/dep/beaches/monitoring_results.htm:
Beach Water Quality Monitoring Results
Each week during the summer season, water samples are collected at 175 ocean and 43 bay monitoring stations along the coast of New Jersey. Samples are analyzed for the presence of Enterococci, a type of bacteria found in animal and human waste. The State Sanitary Code requires that the concentration of bacteria not exceed 104 Enterococci /100 mL of sample. An exceedance of this concentration may be harmful to human health (see our Health Risk Information section). When a sample exceeds the State standard, additional sampling is conducted and continues each day until the sample result is below 104 Enterococci/100 mL. If two consecutive samples exceed the standard, the bathing beach closes until sample results are below the standard. In addition to bacteria monitoring, regional health or enforcement agencies may close beaches at any time at their discretion to protect public health and safety.To view water quality results use the links below to navigate to each county.
Cape May County
Ocean County
Atlantic County
Monmouth County
Historical Beach Water Quality Monitoring Results
Beach Water Quality Monitoring Trends
In New Jersey the Cooperative Coastal Monitoring Program, CCMP, is administered by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. It provides an explanation of its program and the Monday water quality testing results for New Jersey's beaches at http://www.nj.gov/dep/beaches/monitoring_results.htm:
Beach Water Quality Monitoring Results
Each week during the summer season, water samples are collected at 175 ocean and 43 bay monitoring stations along the coast of New Jersey. Samples are analyzed for the presence of Enterococci, a type of bacteria found in animal and human waste. The State Sanitary Code requires that the concentration of bacteria not exceed 104 Enterococci /100 mL of sample. An exceedance of this concentration may be harmful to human health (see our Health Risk Information section). When a sample exceeds the State standard, additional sampling is conducted and continues each day until the sample result is below 104 Enterococci/100 mL. If two consecutive samples exceed the standard, the bathing beach closes until sample results are below the standard. In addition to bacteria monitoring, regional health or enforcement agencies may close beaches at any time at their discretion to protect public health and safety.To view water quality results use the links below to navigate to each county.
Cape May County
Ocean County
Atlantic County
Monmouth County
Historical Beach Water Quality Monitoring Results
Beach Water Quality Monitoring Trends
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