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 most 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 Water Stewardship’s website.
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 Sept. 6 at Albert Beach on Lake Winnipeg, at Pelican Lake (north and south beaches) on Sept. 7 and at Betula Lake in the Whiteshell Provincial Park on Sept. 7. The concentration of the algal toxin microcystin-LR was below the recreational water quality guideline at all beaches this week. Algae advisory signs have been posted on Albert Beach, Pelican Lake (north and south beaches) and Betula Lake Beach.
Information on advisory signs posted at beaches is available online.
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.
Pet owners are reminded to prevent animals from drinking water along shorelines with dense algae blooms as algae toxins can be fatal.
For more information see www.gov.mb.ca/waterstewardship/quality/beaches.html on swimmer and water safety.
This is the last report for the 2011 summer season.
