Water testing this week has shown that levels of Escherichia coli (E. coli) were within recreational water quality guidelines at all beaches monitored by Manitoba Water Stewardship.
Water samples have not been collected at beaches on Lake Dauphin and Lake Manitoba due to flooding conditions. Testing will resume when these beaches become accessible.
Results for all beaches across Manitoba are posted as they become available on Manitoba Water Stewardship’s website at www.gov.mb.ca/waterstewardship/quality/beach_table.html.
E. coli counts have occasionally exceeded the recreational water quality guideline at a few Lake Winnipeg beaches this summer but counts have quickly returned to within acceptable levels within 24 hours.
The number of blue-green algae cells was above the recreational water quality guideline on Aug. 15 at the Victoria Beach Red Cross Dock, Aug. 16 at Killarney Lake Beach and Pelican Lake (north and south beaches), but the concentration of an algae toxin, microcystin-LR, was below the recreational water quality guideline at all four swimming areas. Algae advisory signs have been posted at these four locations.
Algae blooms are difficult to predict and may form and then disperse quickly or last for several days or weeks. Warm and calm weather coupled with relatively high nutrient loads provide ideal conditions for blue-green algae to develop.
Swimmers are reminded to avoid water where severe algae blooms are visible and to prevent pets from drinking water along the shoreline.
More information on swimmer and water safety is available at www.gov.mb.ca/waterstewardship/quality/beaches.html.
