Recent heavy rains have temporarily closed some Ocean County beaches, but none of them have been on Barnegat Bay or the ocean, according to John Protonentis, acting environmental health officer for the county Board of Health.
“We’re doing pretty well so far,’’ he told members of that board.
Most of the temporary closings caused by surges in bacteria pollution washed into the water by rain have take place at lake beaches, he explained. All of the effected beaches were open Wednesday. An up-to-date list of testing results and closures will be running throughout the season here on the BOH website.
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Included were Deerhead Lake and the west beach at Bamber Lake in Lacey, the beach at Ocean County Park in Lakewood, Harry Wright Lake in Manchester, and the Maxon Avenue Beach in Point Pleasant.
“The key is keeping the storm drains clean,’’ insisted Board Chairman Jack Mallon of Pine Beach.
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The beaches are tested each week and two consecutive high bacteria counts lead to the closing of the beach to bathers. Once bacteria counts return to safe levels the beach is reopened.
Board member Henry Mancini said he took advantage recently of the reopened beach at A. Paul King Park at Manahawkin Lake in Stafford Township.
“I was stuck in traffic to Long Beach Island with my six-year-old son in the car so we took a detour to Manahawkin Lake,’’ where they enjoyed a swim in the fresh water.
“It’s a tremendous asset,’’ he said of the lake, which had been closed to bathers for several years because of pollution.
In other business the Board of Health:
Agreed to seek requests for qualifications from architects for renovations to the Health Department headquarters on Sunset Avenue in Toms River.
Applied for $1.9 million in federal funds to run the Women, Infants and Children supplemental feeding program from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30, 2012.
