Elbow River at Riverdale Pedestrian Bridge is sampled weekly from June 5th to September 1st

Alberta Health Services (AHS) monitors freshwater beaches across the province in five zones: North, Edmonton, Central, Calgary, and South. Water samples at this beach are collected by AHS staff and processed in environmental labs.

This site is usually sampled on a weekly basis for thermotolerant coliforms and at varying frequencies for cyanobacteria and microcystins (blue-green algae) during the summer months.

Water quality is monitored in accordance with standards outlined in a previous version of the General Nuisance and Sanitation Regulation, under Alberta’s Public Health Act. New standards are currently being developed.

Thermotolerant coliforms serve as an indicator of faecal contamination, which poses a human health risk. Guidelines recommend that a water quality advisory be posted when tests for thermotolerant coliforms over the preceding 30 days produce results with a geometric mean greater than 200 colony forming units per 100 millilitres of water (200 CFU/100ml). An advisory may also be issued when any single sample exceeds 400 CFU/100ml, although this may first lead to further investigation.

When a Water Quality Advisory is issued, a notice is erected at the beach indicating that the location is unfit for swimming or bathing. In addition, a Water Quality Advisory is issued through the AHS website, local media, and Swim Guide. Swim Guide posts all advisories that are announced, but due to data sharing challenges, is not able to make updates when test results are within the guidelines. Therefore, the swim icon will appear grey, and any posted advisories will appear on the beach page. An advisory is rescinded once water quality meets the above standards.

In addition to thermotolerant coliforms, AHS monitors blue-green algae throughout the swimming season. Algal blooms are monitored through visual observation and through testing for cyanobacteria and microcystins (toxins produced by blue-green algae).

AHS issues a Blue-Green Algae Advisory when a bloom is identified. Advisories are posted online to www.albertahealthservices.ca/1926.asp, circulated by local media, and posted to Swim Guide. Appropriate signage is posted around the water body (public beaches, access points, campgrounds, etc). These advisories remain in place for the duration that the health risk persists.