Wildwood Crest Ocean Reopens after Sewage System Malfunction

The ocean at Wildwood Crest has reopened for swimmers after a bit of a smelly fiasco Monday morning.

According to NJ.com, the mayor of Wildwood Crest Don Cabrera was notified that a malfunction happened in the disinfection system at the Cape May County Municipal Utility Authority’s Seven Mile Treatment Center.

Sewage water was not properly treated with sodium hypochlorite and was released through the Jefferson Avenue outfall line about a mile off the shore. NJ.com says that the mishap was discovered in the latter stage of water treatment and improperly treated water was released into the ocean from Sunday afternoon to Saturday morning.

In a state of caution, Cabrera told NJ.com that they decided to close the ocean within a one mile radius of the Jefferson Avenue outfall line. The portion of the beach effected spanned from Miami Avenue to Jefferson Avenue, Fox 29 reported.  Beachgoers were also not allowed in the ocean until this morning.

Cabrera assures that an incident like this will not happen again. He told NJ.com, “Everybody makes mistakes, and equipment fails. We get that. But what can we do not to have this happen again.”

The beaches affected by the incident have since been reopened just in time for Independence Day festivities. So if you are headed down to Wildwood Crest this weekend you have no need to fear.