Golden Lake, OttawaBien que les eaux de nos plages devraient être sûres et libres de contaminants nocifs, il n’est pas surprenant que les problèmes susceptibles de menacer notre eau potable puissent aussi menacer la qualité des eaux de nos plages. Des activités telles que la baignade, la planche à voile et le barbotage nous mettent en contact direct avec l’eau; lorsque l’eau de la plage est contaminée, ce contact peut menacer notre santé.

Petrie Island BeachWhat Are The Concerns With Beach Water?

Beach water is not pristine and its quality can fluctuate due to contamination from numerous sources, e.g. sewage, storm water, agricultural runoff, faulty septic tanks, the atmosphere and bacteria from pet and wildlife waste. All of these sources of contamination can accumulate and result in too many nutrients in the water, which can encourage eutrophication and the growth of toxic blooms. To make matters worse, beach water quality is typically poorer in the summer when warm weather escalates bacterial growth, and swimmers stir up any pollutants that have settled at the lake bottom.

No Swimming AdvisoryBeach water should be clean and safe for recreational users – unfortunately this is not always the case. To prevent health risks to beach users, beach advisories are posted on beaches that have poor water quality. These advisories warn users that the level of E. coli bacteria in the beach water is elevated and not safe to swim in.