It’s nearly time to visit a beach in Windsor-Essex!
The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit will begin beach water testing this week at seven local beaches.
The first sample will be collected on Wednesday and sent to the public health lab in London to test for E. coli, with results posted Friday.
Testing is done at Lakeshore Lakeview Park West Beach, Point Pelee Northwest Beach, Seacliff Park Beach, Cedar Island Beach, Cedar Beach, Colchester Beach, and Holiday Beach.
Returning this season will be the health unit’s predictive beach water testing program. Last year, four of the seven beaches took part in the launch; however, this year all seven beaches will be included.
This predictive testing is completed at each beach daily by the participating municipalities to give residents a better sense of water quality based on current weather conditions and environmental factors such as rainfall and temperature.
The predictive testing results will coincide with the weekly results; however, the weekly routine sampling will take precedence over the predictive model - meaning if the beach is closed, it will remain closed.
Jenny Tan, Environmental Health Manager at the health unit, says it’s wonderful to see all seven beaches included in the predictive testing.
“It is great news, and the reason for that is it’s just more information for Windsor-Essex County residents to be able to access. And with more beaches participating, we also have more data, meaning we can refine the model even further to make it more accurate.”
East Park Beach on Pelee Island doesn’t currently have weekly water testing, but they have opted in to take part in the predictive water testing.
She says the municipality voluntarily joined the predictive testing.
“A great opportunity for public beaches that are accessible, but we are not currently doing routine to have information available for the public, for guests of Pelee Island, for residents.”
Tan says that similar to the weekly testing of the beach being open, a warning, or closed - the predictive model has similar tiers.
“Low risk, moderate risk, or high risk, so low risk meaning safe for swimming, moderate risk meaning may not be safe for swimming, and the high risk not safe for swimming. So, it kind of mirrors... the predictive model mirrors the risk level with the routine beach modelling results as well.”
The water at Sandpoint Beach will not be tested this year as it remains fenced off and closed to swimmers.
Tan adds as a reminder to the public to avoid swimming after a heavy rainfall, as pollution in beach water is often much higher during and right after rainstorms.
Beach water testing results will be released weekly until the end of August.