TRENTON — Last weekend's heavy rains have put more than three dozen beaches on the verge of closing.

Daily testing of the water at bay, ocean, and river beaches came back with higher than normal Enterococci bacteria levels all along the Jersey Shore. A second similar test result will force the beaches to be closed.

Samples producing enterococcus volume exceeding the state standard of 104 colonies per 100 milliliters trigger a swim advisory and a second set of tests. Closures are enacted when two consecutive samples register levels exceeding state standards, by order of the Department of Environmental Protection.

New Jersey, through its Cooperative Coastal Monitoring Program, has one of the nation’s most rigorous water monitoring programs, and beach advisories and closings are rare, according to the DEP.

Enterococcus is a bacteria present in animal and human waste. The state standard is the borderline at which extended exposure presents a health risk.

The beaches scoring higher than acceptable levels are:

ATLANTIC COUNTY

Atlantic City

  • Albany Ave. oceanfront (ocean)
  • Bartram (ocean)
  • Chelsea (ocean)
  • Dover Ave. (ocean)
  • Illinois (ocean)
  • Kentucky (ocean)
  • Michigan (ocean)
  • Missouri (ocean)
  • Texas (ocean)

Margate City

  • Clermont Ave. (ocean)
  • Gladstone Ave. (ocean)
  • Osborne (ocean)

Ventnor City

  • Austin Ave. (ocean)
  • Dorset (ocean)
  • New Haven (ocean)
  • Washington (ocean)

CAPE MAY COUNTY

Cape May City

  • Grant (ocean)
  • Philadelphia (ocean)
  • Queen North (ocean)

Lower Township

  • Richmond Ave. (ocean)

Wildwood City

  • Bennett (ocean)
  • Montgomery (ocean)

Wildwood Crest Borough

  • Forgetmenot (ocean)
  • Hollywood (ocean)
  • Jefferson (ocean)
  • Lavendar (ocean)
  • Miami (ocean)
  • Orchid (ocean)

MONMOUTH COUNTY

Deal Borough

  • Deal Casino (ocean)
  • Hathaway Ave. (ocean)
  • Loch Arbour Village (ocean)
  • Philips Ave. (ocean)
  • Village Beach Club (ocean)

Long Branch City

  • Atlantic Ave. (ocean)
  • Elberon Beach Club (ocean)
  • Joline (ocean)
  • North Bath (ocean)
  • Ocean Beach Club (ocean)
  • South Bath (ocean)

Neptune Township

  • Broadway (ocean)

Sea Girt Borough

  •  Neptune Pl. (ocean)

Spring Lake Borough

  • Brown Ave. S (ocean)
  • York Ave. (ocean)

OCEAN COUNTY

Brick Township

  • Windward Beach (ocean)

Pine Beach Borough

  • East Beach Station Ave. (river)

Point Pleasant Beach Borough

  • Maryland (ocean)

Seaside Park Borough

  • 5th Ave. Bay Front (bay)

Toms River Township

  • Shelter Cove (bay)

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ.

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