Source Information
The Niagara Region Public Health Department monitors recreational water quality at sites in this region. Sampling season starts Victoria Day Weekend and ends Labour Day Weekend.
Water at all sites is sampled for E. coli and Total coliform.
Niagara Region's Public Health Department issues beach advisories when the geometric mean concentration of at least five samples is at least 200 E. coli / 100 mL of water or when a single sample is at least 400 E. coli / 100 mL of water.
This guideline comes from Canada’s Guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality (2012). It is applied to beaches in Ontario in accordance with Ontario’s Recreational Water Protocol, 2018.
Prior to 2018 beaches in Ontario were posted when the geometric mean of 5 samples collected within a 30-day period exceeded 100 E. coli / 100 mL of water.
Water samples are collected weekly at minimum. Results are posted to Swim Guide when they are available online. Results do not reflect date sample was taken. Results are also available at https://www.niagararegion.ca/living/water/beaches/default.aspx.
In Swim Guide, a beach is marked Green when the geometric mean of at least 5 samples is below 200 E.coli / 100 mL water and each individual sample concentration is below 400 E.coli / 100 mL.
A beach is marked Red when the results are equal to or above a geometric mean of 200 E.coli / 100 mL water and/or 400 E.coli / 100 mL.
A beach is marked Grey when there are no current results or there is no available information.
DISCLAIMER:
Historical data from 2017 and prior reflect the previous Ontario standard of a geometric mean of 100 E. coli /100 mL.
Historical data from 2018 onward reflect the new Ontario Operational Approaches for Recreational Water Guideline, 2018: Geometric mean concentration 200 E. coli/ 100 mL and single-sample maximum concentration of 400 E. coli /100 mL.
