COBDEN — Closed! On Friday, June 10 — 11 days before the first official day of summer —the Cobden Public Beach was closed to swimmers due to a high E.coli count.
A WARNING sign was posted, noting the lake is unsafe for bathing and the posting was authorized by the Medical Officer of Health.
Dave Tantalo, a co-ordinator of Environmental Health with the Renfrew County District Health Unit said the Township of Whitewater Region was notified to post the beach is closed.
“We started beach water testing a few weeks ago,” he said.
The allowable amounts of E.coli is 100 counts per 100 mls of water, Mr. Tantalo said. If the count goes over the limit on two separate occasions consecutively, the beach must be posted that it is closed, he said.
When the first reading was taken at the Cobden Beach it was good, he said.
However, on June 7 the reading was 241mls and two days later it was much higher at 315 mls, Mr. Tantalo noted.
Why it’s so high, especially this early in the season, is hard to say, he said.
“It could be the weather conditions and we know there are a lot of birds down there,” Mr. Tantalo said.
There is good news though, he said. A reading was taken on Monday, June 14 and the E.coli count was 18 per 100 mls. Another sample will be taken Thursday morning and the township will be notified by Friday afternoon of that result, he said.
If the E.coli count remains below the allowable amount, the beach will re-open Mr. Tantalo said.
The website of the Renfrew County District Health Unit explains the reasons for beach water testing and why it is done.
Beach Water Testing
Ontario Health Units have a mandate to prevent or reduce waterborne illness and injury related to recreational water use. This includes testing the water at public beaches during the swimming season.
Why is the water at public beaches tested?
Swimming in water with high levels of bacteria can cause skin irritation, eye, ear, nose and throat infections, and intestinal or stomach illnesses if the water is swallowed.
What is the water tested for?
The water is tested for E. Coli bacteria. The presence of E. Coli bacteria indicates recent sewage contamination.
How is the testing done?
A Public Health Inspector collects a minimum of five samples each sampling period along the length of the beach. Samples are taken weekly from June to September. Samples are sent to the Public Health Laboratories for testing. When the geometric mean (like an average) of five separate samples is greater than 100 E. Coli per 100 ml of water on two consecutive occasions, a sign is posted to indicate that the water may be unsafe for swimming.
What does it mean when a beach is “posted”?
The Medical Officer of Health recommends that people avoid swimming because of high levels of bacteria. The sign remains posted until further tests show that the water is safe for swimming again.
What causes bacterial
contamination at our beaches?
Contamination can be caused by bathers, birds, animals, surface water runoff, sewage spills, private sewage disposal systems and pleasure boats.
