LONG BRANCH — The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued swimming advisories for two beaches in the city after tests determined high bacterial levels in the ocean waters on Monday.
The beach at the Imperial House condominiums and the city’s North Bath Beach each tested for high bacterial counts on Aug. 6. If a second test reveals elevated bacterial levels the beaches would be closed, according to the DEP.
They were among 22 beaches in Monmouth and Ocean counties that were either placed under advisories or closed to swimmers by the DEP.
Long Branch Business Administrator Howard Woolley Jr. said Tuesday that it is not uncommon for the ocean water to have a high bacterial count following rainstorms.
“We have high counts on two of them as of Monday,” he said. “It is not unusual to get high counts after a storm event, which is what we had on Sunday night.”