Public health testing beach water quality
Health officials will advise if local lakes are unsafe for swimming
Peterborough Public Health is testing water quality at local beaches again. Beaches in the city and county, and at Hiawartha First Nation and Curve Lake First Nation, will be tested regularly by health officials.
“In addition to routine sampling, we will also be confirming that public health measures to help prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 have been implemented,” says a release issued by Peterborough Public Health Monday. “This will include confirming appropriate signage is in place to remind visitors about certain practices like hand hygiene and physical distancing, observing the general sanitation of washroom facilities, and ensuring that beaches are not overcrowded so that physical distancing is maintained.”
Rogers Cove and Beavermead’s beach will be tested daily Monday-Friday. Most beaches in the county will be tested at least once a week, while Chandos Beach, Quarry Bay Beach, White’s Beach, Belmont Lake Beach and Kasshabog Lake Beach will be sampled at least once in June, July and August.
The testing will help protect swimmers from coming into contact with bacteria, which may result from heavy rainfall, high winds or wave activity, large numbers of waterfowl and a large number of swimmers, Peterborough Public Health advises.
To help prevent this, Peterborough Public Health offers the following tips: Do not feed waterfowl, don’t let children swim in soiled diapers, pick up garbage and clean up after dogs.
Water samples are submitted to the Peterborough Public Health Ontario Laboratory for
bacteriological analysis where they are tested for E. coli bacteria, which indicates fecal contamination in the water.
It takes approximately 24 hours for Peterborough Public Health to receive and analyze the water quality results from the lab.
Signs will be posted at beaches advising of any issues with water quality, and information is available at peterboroughpublichealth.ca or at 705-743-1000, ext. 232 during office hours. Updates will also be on Twitter @Ptbohealth.
Beaches were closed for the first months of the province’s emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but reopened earlier in June.
The city also operates several splash pads, which reopened Friday. They’re located at Rogers Cove, Barnardo Park, Nicholls Oval, King Edward Park and at the Kinsmen Civic Centre, and are open daily from noon to 7 p.m.
The splash pad at Riverview Park and Zoo, and the zoo itself, remain closed.