CAPE MAY – Cape May County Health Officer Kevin Thomas on Tuesday, Aug. 18 announced the closure of Ocean Street Beach here. That beach as well as Decatur Street beach remained closed on Wednesday, Aug. 19.
All other beaches remained open in Cape May.
On Aug. 17, 2009 at approximately 8:20 p.m., 1,000 gallons of raw sewage were reported to have discharged to the storm drain at Ocean Street. That storm drain discharges directly into the surf area of Ocean Street and the beach.
“As a precautionary measure and standard practice for reducing public exposure to a potentially dangerous threat, the Cape May County Health Department has directed that Ocean Street recreational bathing area be posted against all primary contact recreational activities such as bathing, swimming, etc,” Thomas stated in a release.
Ocean water samples are being collected and tested for enterococcus bacteria. The recreational beach will open when test results indicate that bacteria levels are within acceptable limits. The maximum estimated enterococcus bacteria in marine waters can’t exceed 104 per 100ml.
Through the Coastal Water Monitoring Program a total of fifty-nine (59) ocean and eight (8) Back Bay recreational sites are monitored weekly from May until September 7, 2009. Beach closings are available by calling the Cape May County Ocean Water Quality Hotline at 609-463-6581 or on the Health Department website at cmchealth.net.
For information please contact the Cape May County Health Department Division of Environmental Health Services, at 465-1212.
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