Atlantic City Beaches Placed Under Swimming Advisories

State officials issued warnings after water samples showed high levels of fecal bacteria.

Updated on Sept. 22, 2026 in Forecasts

Bold flat-color editorial illustration showing a solitary lifeguard tower on an empty beach, representing institutional environmental safety monitoring. — The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection issued swimming advisories for Atlantic City's Missouri and Mississippi Avenue beaches following bacterial testing. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The Department of Environmental Protection placed Missouri Avenue Beach and Mississippi Avenue beach under swimming advisories this week. The move followed water testing that revealed high levels of enterococci bacteria.

Why it matters

The advisories are intended to protect public health, as enterococci levels serve as a primary indicator of potential contamination from human or animal waste. State regulations mandate these alerts when water samples exceed specific safety thresholds.

Water samples taken on Monday at Missouri Avenue Beach and Mississippi Avenue beach contained more than 104 colony forming units of enterococci. The state requires a formal swimming advisory once levels surpass this safety threshold.

The players

Department of Environmental Protection

This state agency is responsible for overseeing water quality monitoring and issuing public safety advisories for beaches.

The details

Local authorities took samples from the two Atlantic City sites on Monday, which later tested positive for elevated bacteria levels. These findings triggered the current advisory status while officials conduct follow-up testing to monitor water safety.

Water samples were collected at the beaches on Monday.
Swimming advisories were issued and water was retested on Tuesday afternoon.
Retest results are expected to be released Wednesday afternoon.

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Seasonal Patterns

These beach closures follow standardized bacterial testing protocols derived from the Clean Water Act's microbial water quality criteria. The implementation of these local advisories demonstrates the ongoing application of safety standards designed to manage water quality throughout the season.

Residents and visitors should avoid swimming at Missouri Avenue Beach and Mississippi Avenue beach until the advisories are officially lifted. Visitors should monitor local updates on Wednesday for the latest water quality reports and safety status.

The takeaway

Swimming advisories serve as a critical health safeguard, emphasizing the importance of routine environmental monitoring at popular coastal locations. Residents can protect their health by adhering to official beach closures until the Department of Environmental Protection verifies that water quality has returned to safe levels.