The District of Lake Country has followed suit and posted swim advisory signs on the adjoining Beasley Park on Wood Lake until further notice due to poor water quality.

Beach Water Quality

Lake water is not pristine, and beach water quality can fluctuate due to a number of factors including lake currents, runoff and the outflow of creeks, changing environmental factors and waterfowl and animal waste.

Additionally, Water Quality is typically poorer in the summer when the warm weather escalates bacterial growth and swimmers stir up the lake bottom.

Swimming Advisory

A Swimming Advisory is a notice to swimmers that bacterial levels are currently higher than those allowed in the Guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality. The maximum allowable number of E. coli bacteria in recreational water is 200 per 100-millilitre sample. IHA recomends an advisory when the bacterial counts geometric mean is high over a period of multiple samples.

The risk of infection is directly related to bacterial counts in the water. When E. coli reaches 200 units per 100 millilitre sample it’s expected that one per cent of bathers may develop gastrointestinal illness (GI) if these bacteria are ingested. For every one GI illness, two to three other illnesses – skin rashes (swimmer’s itch excluded) and eye, ear and throat symptoms – can be expected. The very young, the very old and people with weakened immunity are the most susceptible.

When a Swimming Advisory is in place signage will be posted at the affected beach.

Once testing shows bacteria levels have returned to acceptable levels the Swimming Advisory will be lifted and the signage removed.

Protect Yourself

• Avoid swallowing lake water

• Avoid swimming with an open cut or wound

• Avoid swimming for 24-hours after a significant rainfall

• Stay away from the water if you are experiencing digestive or intestinal problems

• Wash your hands before handling food

Protect the Beach

• Don’t feed the birds

• Don’t take your pet to most beaches

• Don’t litter or discard food on the beach

• Change diapered children in the bathroom frequently, not at the beach

• Dispose of boat sewage in onshore sanitary facilities

• Wash your hands with soap and water after using the toilet or after changing diapers

• Never bury waste in beach sand

• Call 250-766-5650 if you see something that needs our attention

For more information on beach water quality, contact at 250 862-4200.

Water Testing

Each summer, municipal staff collect water samples from a number of our beaches for Interior Health to test and analyze. Beaches that historically have shown higher than acceptable coliform counts at certain periods during the summer months are sampled weekly, with no

fewer than five samples in a 30-day period.

The District of Lake Country is also taking measures to enhance beach water quality including the implementation of a valley-wide Goose Management Plan.

Understanding Beach Water Quality

• Disease-causing microorganisms in water include bacteria, viruses and parasites (e.g. Giardia and Cryptosporidium). These disease-causing organisms can be discharged directly to water bodies or transported with surface runoff. Sources are numerous and include discharge of untreated sewage, runoff from agricultural activities and wastes from waterfowl and wild and domestic animals. Fertilizers, pesticides, and garbage can also contaminate beach water

• Beach water quality is typically poorer in summer due to warmer water temperatures and the number of people swimming. Contamination is also more likely to increase during and after rainstorms.

• Escherichia coli (E. coli) belongs to a group of bacteria called fecal coliforms that originate in the digestive tract of warm-blooded animals. E. coli is a common human bacteria primarily used as indicator bacteria and should not be confused with E. Coli 0157:H7 which causes outbreaks of bloody diarrhea, however, there are categories of E. coli that cause diarrhea.