According to public health guidelines from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, water is considered unsafe for swimming when one sample contains 400 or more E. coli bacteria per 100 millilitres, or the geometric mean of five samples is 200 or more. Collecting, transporting and testing beach water for E. coli can take a day or more, so the latest available data may not reflect current conditions at the beach. A beach may also be considered unsafe for swimming due to weather conditions, runoff, pollution, spills, smells, garbage, sharp debris and dead fish. In addition, public beaches are monitored for blue-green algae, which can be highly toxic to humans, dogs and other animals. About this storyThis story is automatically generated using data from Halton Region Public Health.

Source: The Star July 29, 2023 22:59 UTC