Ottawa swimmers have faced the summer buzzkill of E. coli bacteria before, but this time human sewage isn't the culprit. The City of Ottawa thought it had solved the bacteria problem at its worst hit beaches when it built a sewage storage tunnel to prevent sewage from overflowing and contaminating the Ottawa River. This summer was the first for the new system, and it's working, according to Ottawa Public Health (OPH) and Ottawa Riverkeeper. Larissa Holman with Ottawa Riverkeeper says the geese are here to stay, and some beaches are affected more than others. Petrie Island East is hidden from the main flow of the Ottawa River, and the geese like the quiet.

Source: CBC News August 26, 2021 07:52 UTC