The Ocean County Health Department, from mid-May through Labor Day, monitors the water quality at public bathing beaches throughout Ocean County. The 66 salt-water sites are sampled every Monday and the 17 fresh-water sites are sampled every Tuesday. Presently, all public beaches have tested within acceptable standards, according to a press release from the health department.

Samples from salt-water beaches are tested for enterococcus, which is a bacterium that is found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals. The standard for the amount of enterococcus that is allowed in a sample of salt water is 104 colonies per 100 milliliters of water. If a sample exceeds the standard, the beach is resampled immediately. If the resample is within the standard, the beach may remain open, but if it exceeds the standard, the owners of the beach area are notified to close the beach to swimming and bathing.

The beach will be resampled every day until the sample falls under the standard and then can be reopened after a physical inspection by a licensed health inspector, according to the health department.

Fresh-water areas are sampled for fecal coliform, which is also a bacterium found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals. The standard for the amount of fecal coliform that is allowed in a sample of fresh water is 200 colonies per 100 milliliters of water. Sampling and resampling procedures are the same as for enterococcus.

The majority of beaches are expected to be open by now. The health department recommends against swimming for at least 24 hours after a rainfall event at all bay, lake, river and creek bathing beaches.

The Ocean County Health Department posts water quality reports and beach closures on its Internet website at www.ochd.org and also offers a hotline available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To check on a status of a bathing beach, call the Ocean County Health Department Water Quality Hotline at 732-341-9700, ext. 7776, or at 1-800-342-9738, ext. 7776.