Heading to the beach? You’ll want to stay out of the water at Bronte Beach Park, Coronation Park West and Prospect Park Old Beach * as of Aug. 16 at 5 p.m. Here’s the latest beach water quality report from Halton Region Public Health:
Beachway Beach in Burlington (1094 Lakeshore Road) tested safe for swimming on August 14
Brant Street Beach in Burlington (Lakeshore Road and Brant Street) tested safe for swimming on August 14
Bronte Beach Park Beach in Oakville (Lakeshore Road and Bronte Road) tested unsafe for swimming on August 14
Coronation Park East Beach in Oakville (1426 Lakeshore Road West) tested safe for swimming on August 14
Coronation Park West Beach in Oakville (1426 Lakeshore Road West) tested unsafe for swimming on August 14
Lakeside Park Beach in Oakville (144 Front St.) tested safe for swimming on August 14
Prospect Park Old Beach * Beach in undefined (undefined) tested unsafe for swimming on August 14
South Shell Park Beach in Oakville (3376 Lakeshore Road West) tested safe for swimming on August 14
According to public health guidelines from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, water is considered unsafe for swimming when one sample contains 400 or more E. coli bacteria per 100 millilitres, or the geometric mean of five samples is 200 or more.
Collecting, transporting and testing beach water for E. coli can take a day or more, so the latest available data may not reflect current conditions at the beach. Swimming is not recommended when it’s raining, the water is wavy or cloudy, there are lots of birds, or for two days after a big storm.
Consuming E. coli can cause serious illness, including stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting. When high levels of the bacteria are detected it’s more likely that other harmful organisms are present as well, including those that cause skin rashes and eye, ear, nose and throat infections.
A beach may also be considered unsafe for swimming due to weather conditions, runoff, pollution, spills, smells, garbage, sharp debris and dead fish. In addition, public beaches are monitored for blue-green algae, which can be highly toxic to humans, dogs and other animals.
The
Torstar Open Data Team is a collaborative of editorial, data
and technical staff who work with public open data sources to
provide useful and actionable stories for readers. Topics covered
to date include scheduled roadworks, restaurant food inspections
and water quality at public beaches.
