Val Comeau Beach

Source Information

This beach follows the “Water Monitoring Protocol for Provincial Park Beaches” and is in accordance with the Guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality. During the swimming season, five water samples shall be collected, as practically as is possible, on the scheduled sampling day. The Department of Environment and Local Government (DELG) is responsible for the oversight of sample collection for the purpose of compliance monitoring and ensuring proper training is provided.The samples are analyzed for enterococci and Escherichia coli (E.coli), by an accredited laboratory. The results are received by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health (OCMOH) and interpreted based on the Guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality. Upon receiving the results, OCMOH posts the results online. Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture (THC) is responsible for physically updating Informative Beach Signs at designated areas. For Enterococci, the guidelines state that the geometric mean of the 5 samples must be equal to or less than 35 Enterococci/100 ml and all single samples must be equal to or less than 70 Enterococci/100 ml. Test results are expressed as Most Probable Number (MPN) of cfu (colony forming units) per 100 ml. It can take up to 48 hours between the sample collection date and the posting of results. This is due to the time is takes to collect the samples, send them to the lab, and complete the analysis. On occasion, the collection of all required samples may not be possible due to weather/environmental conditions, safety concerns or other unforeseen circumstances beyond control. The Conservation Council of New Brunswick is responsible for communicating the results daily to Swim Guide. Please note that the Conservation Council and Swim Guide are not affiliated with DELG, OCMOH, or THC. The beach is marked Green on Swim Guide when the geometric mean and all single samples meet the criteria for Enterococci. The beach is marked Red on Swim Guide when the geometric mean or a single sample exceeds the criteria for Enterococci. A beach will also be marked Red on Swim Guide if rainfall exceeds 10 mm within the previous 24 hour period. The beach is marked Grey on Swim Guide when there are no current results available on the government website. Please note that the protocol is subject to annual review, thus content on Swim Guide will be updated accordingly. For more detailed information on water quality monitoring in New Brunswick, please see the official page: http://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/ocmoh/health_advisories/beachadvisories.html