Keep your head afloat, water quality expert warns

With water temperatures warming up late into the summer, the Niagara Region is reminding swimmers to make informed choices before heading to their local beach.

Anthony Habjan, the public health inspection manager for environmental health at Niagara Region who oversees beach water testing, said just because a beach is posted safe for swimming, doesn’t mean the water is bacteria-free.

“At the end of the day, regardless if the beach is posted or unposted, the message is that you still have to be careful,” Habjan said.

“When it’s posted, that just means the levels are surpassed the expected levels that we use based on our parameters.”

He recommended swimmers keep their head above the water, to avoid ingesting E.Coli or getting an eye or ear infection from the bacteria.

Habjan added, “We want people to go to the website, we want them to go and take a look to see which beaches are open and which ones are posted, so they have that ability to make those informed decisions.”

In addition, beach-goers should always wash their hands before eating, as the sand contains bacteria Habjan said.

He noted that the summer has been particularly good for swimmers, with fewer postings than usual, which he attributes to a lack of rain.

“When we have more of that warm, dry weather we tend to have less postings,” Habjan said. “We’ve had a a really good year this year.”

While algae can occur with heat waves, Habjan said this hasn’t been an issue yet.

“That doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen,” he added.

As of Thursday, the beaches that were posted unsafe for swimming were Nelles beach in Grimsby, Long Beach, Long Beach Conservation East and West in Wainfleet and Wainfleet Lake Erie Public Access Beach.

“For us right now, we’re probably only four or five beaches posted currently.” Habjan continued,

“Which is pretty good headed into the weekend.”