Update: Swim advisory lifted for beach

Update

Interior Health has lifted the Swimming Advisory for Kelowna’s Rotary Beach effective immediately.

Regular testing indicates the beach now meets the guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality at 60 E.coli per 100-millilitre sample.

“Beach water quality can fluctuate due to a number of factors including lake currents, changing environmental factors, waterfowl, warm weather and swimmers which stirs up the lake bottom,” says Blair Stewart, Parks Services Manager.

A Swimming Advisory for Rotary Beach was put in place yesterday, August 29, when bacterial counts measured higher than the standard of 200 E.coli per 100-millilitre sample. When bacterial counts are above the standard, swimming, particularly in shallow water, may increase the risk of illness.

Each summer, City staff collects water samples from our beaches for Interior Health to test and analyze. Kelowna beaches being tested include: Sarsons, Hot Sands in City Park, Cedar Creek, Rotary, Tugboat Bay in Waterfront Park, Boyce Gyro and Strathcona.

To help enhance beach water quality please:

Do not feed the birds.

Do not take your pet to the beach; dogs are only permitted at the Cedar Creek Park, Lake Avenue, Poplar Point and Kerry Park splash beaches.

Do not litter – dispose of all waste in garbage cans.

Change diapered children frequently in the bathroom, not at the beach.

Dispose of boat sewage in onshore sanitary facilities.

Wash your hands with soap and water after using the toilet or after changing diapers.

If you have diarrhea please do not swim.

Call 71-PARKS if you see something that needs our attention.

Aug. 29

A water quality advisory has been issued for Rotary Beach in Kelowna.

The beach is not closed, but swimming advisory signs have been posted so that the public can make an informed choice.

The city says very young, the elderly and people with weakened immunity are the most susceptible to infection related to bacterial counts in the water.

When E. coli reaches 200 units per 100 millilitre sample, it’s expected that one per cent of bathers may develop gastrointestinal (stomach) illness if these bacteria are ingested. Eye, ear and throat symptoms, as well as skin rashes (not swimmer’s itch), can occur more frequently.

“We are asking the public not to swim or engage in water-related recreation activities at Rotary Beach until the water quality advisory has been lifted,” said Blair Stewart, Parks Services Manager. “Most people would be fine, but there is that one per cent who could become ill.”

Other Kelowna beaches are not under a swimming advisory and are safe for swimming at this time.

A Swimming Advisory is a notice to swimmers that bacterial levels are currently higher than those allowed in the Guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality. The maximum allowable number of E. coli bacteria in recreational water is 200 per 100-millilitre sample. Recent testing has shown the water at Rotary Beach has a count of 420 per 100-millilitre sample.

Observations over the past 10 days at Rotary indicated that there was a large amount of plant material on the beach as well as in the water.

Beach water quality can fluctuate due to a number of different factors including currents, runoff, creek outflows, waterfowl and animal waste. The City of Kelowna and Interior Health sample water quality at higher risk beaches, with no fewer than five samples in a 30-day period.