July 02, 2019
UPDATE: The beaches impacted by the closure have reopened to the public as of July 2.
A section of the beach in Wildwood Crest has been closed to the public for at least 24 hours due to a malfunction at a Cape May County wastewater treatment facility, officials said Monday.
The public health coordinator for Wildwood Crest ordered the beach closures as a precautionary measure, according to a notice explaining the decision.
The malfunction occurred at the Seven-Mile Treatment Center and will impact several popular beaches as the Jersey Shore town prepares for a holiday rush.
Areas affected by the closure include Miami Avenue through Jefferson Avenue, which covers approximately the southern third of the Wildwood Crest beachfront.
Officials from the wastewater treatment facility said the last of three phases of routine water treatment "failed to trigger" at some point between Sunday afternoon and Monday morning. The issue affected treated water funneled through an outfall line extending about a mile into the ocean at Jefferson Avenue.
The closure is pending the completion of water quality tests that could have the beaches reopened by Tuesday if test results are within acceptable limits, officials said.
