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I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 



The Coop)erative Coastal Monitoring Program ("CCMP") is a joint effort among 

 the Department of Environmental Protection and Energy ("DEPE"), the Department 

 of Health ("DOH") and 'ocal health agencies. Under the CCMP, the local health 

 agencies conduct sampling of waters at ocean and bay beaches to evaluate coastal 

 water quality; the local health agencies, the DEPE and the DOH work together to 

 interpret the water quality data and use it to respond to public health concerns and 

 to develop strategies for coastal zone management. DOH regulations governing 

 public recreational bathing incorporate the CCMP. N.T.A.C . 8:26. The provisions of 

 those regulations are enforceable by DOH and by local health departments. 



This report outlines the test results from the 331 coastal monitoring stations for 

 the 1992 season. As background for that data, the report also describes the CCMP in 

 detail. 



A brief summary of the highlights of the report follows: 



A. The 1992 data show that New jersey is successfully maintaining and protecting 

 the uses of the waters at its beaches. 



To determine that coastal waters are suitable for bathing, the CCMP compares 

 concentrations of fecal coliform bacteria against surface water quality standards 

 established in DEPE regulations. The surface water quality standards are part of an 

 antidegradation policy to maintain and protect existing uses of New Jersey's surface 

 waters, including recreational uses. During the summer of 1992, fecal coliform 

 concentrations at 99.4 percent of the monitoring stations at ocean beaches and 96.7 

 percent of the stations at bay beaches met the standards. These figures represent an 

 increase from 1991, in which 98.6 percent of the ocean stations and 92.5 percent of 

 the bay stations met the standards. 



The United States Environmental Protection Agency has stated that enterococci 

 concentrations may be a better indicator than recal coliform in determining whether 

 the uses of the coastal waters are being maintained and protected. In 1992, 100 

 percent of the stations monitored for enterococci concentrations were within the 

 surface water quality standard; 93.9 percent of the stations met the standard in 1991. 



B. The DEPE is continuing to focus its efforts upon the primary cause of beach 

 closings. 



Discharges of stormwater are a frequent cause of the elevated concentrations of 

 bacteria that cause short-term, localized beach closings. Discharges from 

 interconnected and cross-connected sanitary and stormwater infrastructure are 

 especially likely to increase bacteria concentrations. Pursuant to the Sewage 

 Infrastructure Improvement Act, the DEPE is working with coastal municipalities to 

 identify and eliminate these interconnections and cross-connections. Over a three- 



