Dozens of New Jersey beaches hit with bacteria warnings after rain

🌊Thirty New Jersey beaches are under advisories for elevated fecal bacteria

🌊Atlantic City has 10 beaches affected under advisory

🌊A second high-than-normal test result will lead to a swimming ban

Dozens of beaches across New Jersey, including 22 in the Shore region, are under advisory for higher-than-acceptable levels of fecal bacteria following testing by the DEP.

About 220 beaches across the state are tested daily by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to determine water quality, including levels of fecal bacteria. The standard requires that the concentration of bacteria not exceed 104 colonies of Enterococci bacteria per 100 milliliters of sample.

The elevated levels are likely caused by runoff that brought waste into the water during heavy rain.

ALSO READ: Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow's Shore Report

Atlantic City as seen from Ventnor

Atlantic City has 10 beaches under advisory

As of Wednesday morning, 30 beaches were under advisory, including a cluster of 10 beaches in Atlantic City. The beach closed to swimming is Lake Tranquility in Sussex County.

"There is no denying that it has been an unusually wet and stormy summer at times along the Jersey Shore. In the last week alone, over an inch of rain has fallen in several locations in Monmouth, Ocean, and Atlantic counties. All that rainwater has to runoff somewhere, and such heavy rain can have dramatic environmental impacts to our beaches and waterways like we are seeing now," Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow said.

If a second test comes back at the higher level, the beach will be closed to swimming. The DEP is expected to release new results Wednesday afternoon.

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Map shows beaches with advisories (yellow) and closures (red) as of Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026 (NJ DEP)

What happens if you swim in the affected water?

High levels of bacteria could cause gastrointestinal and respiratory issues for swimmers.

Contact with the water can result in any one or more of the following symptoms:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain
• Sore throat
• Cough
• Runny nose/sneezing
• Skin rash and itching
• Ear and eye irritation
• Fever and chills

Most of the time, these symptoms are minor, DEP said. But they can occasionally be more serious, especially in children and the elderly.

The unsettled, occasionally soggy weather pattern is not letting up any time soon. More rain and possible thunderstorms are in the forecast for Thursday and again for this weekend, according to Zarrow.

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