Beach water testing: frequently asked questions

A designated public bathing beach is one that is owned and operated by the municipality which the public has access to. There are currently 34 designated beaches in Public Health Sudbury & Districts’ service area.

Public Health Sudbury & Districts may also monitor other bathing areas, except provincial parks, to which the public has access, and where there is reason to believe that recreational use of the water may result in water-borne illness or injury. Public Health Sudbury & Districts is not responsible for routine monitoring of private residential beaches that are neither used by, nor accessible to, the public at large.

Every designated public bathing beach in our service area is sampled weekly in June, July, and August. They may be sampled more frequently depending on the circumstances.

The public health laboratory analyzes each water sample for E. coli bacteria, which is an indicator of fecal pollution. The sample results indicate the quality of the beach water at the specific time the samples were taken. To obtain a representative assessment of the water quality, a number of samples are taken across the beach.

A Swimming Advisory is issued where the Medical Officer of Health is advising the public against swimming in the water as it may pose a health risk and be considered unsafe. This could be due to unacceptably high levels of bacteria, or the presence of a blue-green algae bloom. In these situations, warning signs are posted at the beach. Swimmers still have the option to swim if they choose but do so at their own risk.

Public Health Sudbury & Districts removes the warning signs when bacteria levels in the water return to acceptable levels or, in the case of a blue-green algae sighting, the sign is removed at the end of the bathing season. This is because blooms are not anchored and can move from one location to another. New blooms can also form.

A beach is considered unsafe when bacteria levels are above acceptable provincial levels for bathing beaches.

Before a warning sign at a beach is posted, results from several samples are required. The geometric mean (a type of average) is calculated. When the geometric mean of the sampling results exceeds 200 E. coli bacteria per 100 mL of water, Public Health will resample the water. The number of water samples taken from the beach will be doubled and analyzed. If the geometric mean of these samples exceeds the 200 bacteria per 100 mL, Public Health Sudbury & Districts will post signs on the beach warning swimmers to stay out of the water.

Going into water with elevated levels of E. coli puts bathers at risk for skin, eye, and nose infections. Stomach disorders can also occur. Illness can occur if swimmers swallow beach water, if water gets into their ears, eyes, or nose or if it comes in contact with open wounds.

Ingesting high levels of blue-green algae toxins can cause liver and nervous system damage. The algae toxins can also irritate a person’s skin and, if ingested, cause diarrhea and vomiting.

Many sources of water pollution can result in beach postings. These include:

• agricultural or surface water runoff from land near a beach (heavy rains)
• overflows from combined storm sewers that carry both sewage and storm water
• large populations of animals and waterfowl that colonize a beach or surrounding area
• environmental conditions (for example, wind, rain, and water temperature)

• Pet waste is a source of bacteria in storm water. Remove dog feces from streets and public parks. Do not bring your pet to a designated bathing Observe stoop and scoop bylaws.
• Make sure all washrooms in your homes are connected to properly functioning sewage disposal systems.
• Detach eavestrough down-spouts so that rainwater goes into the ground rather than into a sewer. This reduces the amount of water going directly into sewers.
• Upgrade your septic system and keep in in proper working order.