• COVID-19

Beach testing

Peel Public Health monitors water quality at 4 public beaches to make sure that the water is safe for swimming.

Water is tested a least once a week during the summer. Signs are posted when the water is unsafe for swimming.

High levels of bacteria in beach water can make you sick with diarrhea, skin rashes, ear pain, cough or congestion, and eye pain.

The beach water may have unsafe levels of bacteria due to:

• Heavy rainfall.
• Large numbers of water birds.
• High winds or wave activity.
• Large numbers of swimmers.

Signs posted at the beaches

A blue Notice sign at the beach means that the sample result shows the bacterial levels to be within acceptable limits and the beach’s status is "Open". Blue signs on the beach also warn swimmers not to swim for two days after a heavy rainfall. Bacteria can increase after heavy rainfalls and be harmful. High waves can also stir up bacteria.

A red Warning sign at the beach means that levels of bacteria in the water are high enough to pose a risk to your health. This is a warning that swimming in the water may cause illness. The beach’s status is "Advisory". Swimming in these waters could cause infections in ears, eyes, nose, throat and skin as well as cause diarrhea if the water is ingested.

Check below for the beach testing results.