Southwestern Public Health has begun its summer beach water testing in Elgin county.
In testing done Wednesday, Erie Rest and Little Beach in Port Stanley along with Port Bruce are all reporting high levels of E. coli bacteria and swimming is not recommended.
No testing is available for Main Beach in Port Stanley and beaches in Port Burwell, while Port Glasgow and Springwater Conservation Area are indicating safe levels of bacteria.
If a beach is found to have high levels of bacteria in the water, a warning sign will be posted at the beach indicating swimming is not recommended.
Remember weather or other factors may change water quality after testing is done.
A good rule of thumb is to avoid swimming at public beaches for 48 hours after a significant rainfall or strong wind event, even if the most recently published water report indicated safe water conditions.
More information on beach water testing can be found at http://www.swpublichealth.ca/beaches
Written by Ian McCallum
