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III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 



A. Fecal Coliform Con centrations 



1 General 



As noted in part n above, fecal coliform is the regulatory standard for analyzing 

 nearshore water quality. The CCMP compares fecal coliform concentrations in 

 coastal waters against the concentrations allowed under the Surface Water Quality 

 Standards ("SWQS") at NT. AC. 7:9-4.14, and against the concentrations allowed 

 under the primary contact standards ("PCS") at N.T.A.C. 8;26-7.19. For ocean stations, 

 the SWQS is 50 fecal coliform per 100 milliliters of sample and the PCS is 200 fecal 

 coliform per 100 milliliters of sample. For the bay stations, both the SWQS and the 

 PCS are 200 fecal coliform per 100 milliliters of sample. 



As noted in n(B) above, the PCS is based upon single samples. Single samples 

 can reveal episodic water quality problems that may exf)ose bathers to infectious 

 disease agents. When a sample showing an exceedance of the PCS at a recreational 

 beach is confirmed, the health agency with jurisdiction over that beach will close it. 

 Therefore, the number and percentage of exceedances of the PCS is relevant in 

 determining the frequency with which these water quality problems occur. In 

 contrast, the SWQS is based upon a geometric mean of multiple samples. 



2. Geometric means of fecal coliform concentrations 



As discussed above, the SWQS for fecal coliform is based upon a geometric mean 

 of multiple samples. The geometric mean is useful in evaluating trends in coastal 

 water quality to confirm that a beach remains generally suitable for bathing. 



Table 1 summarizes the total number of samples collected at the ocean and bay 

 monitoring stations in the five participating counties during 1990, 1991, and 1992. 

 The geometric means are based upon that number of samples. 



Ocean Monitoring Stations 

 Atlantic 

 2Q 21 22 



Cape May 

 2Q 21 22 



Monmouth 

 2Q 21 22 



Total Samples 552 557 674 1174 1159 1171 632 711 710 



Ocean 

 2Q 21 22 



998 1094 1079 



Bay Monitoring Stations 



Atlantic 

 2Q 21 22 



Cape May 

 2C 21 22 



Monmouth 

 2Q 21 22 



Total Samples 232 281 276 1054 1023 1006 475 484 452 



Ocean M'sex 



2Q 21 22 21 22 

 1101 1114 850 95 78 



