July 27, 2017
Heading into the weekend, water quality in coastal New Jersey has improved dramatically since runoff from heavy storms earlier in the week closed 15 beaches along the coast and bays.
As of Thursday afternoon, just seven beaches, all in Atlantic City, were closed due to high bacteria measurements at least two days in a row.
But the closures were lifted late Thursday afternoon.
There are no bay beaches closed anywhere in the state, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
And no surfside beaches are closed in Monmouth, Ocean or Cape May counties.
The state takes weekly samples from 180 ocean sites and 35 bay sites.
The water samples are tested for a type of bacteria which indicates the likely presence of fecal matter.
