Halifax council to consider studying bacteria in Lake Banook, Lake Micmac
Lakes are connected and beach at Lake Banook has frequently been closed due to high bacteria levels
When Coun. Sam Austin took his two kids to Birch Cove Beach at Lake Banook in Dartmouth, N.S., this summer, there was a problem he regularly encountered.
"It felt like every other day, Birch Cove was open and then it was closed again," said the Dartmouth Centre councillor.
The reason for the frequent closures was elevated bacteria levels. In 2017, Birch Cove Beach was closed 33 times because of this, which is significantly higher than the closure numbers for recent years:
- 2012 — 5.
- 2013 — 0.
- 2014 — 6.
- 2015 — 17.
- 2016 — 17.
"There's many possible sources of contamination for E. coli and we just don't know where it's coming from," said Austin.
While the municipality tests the water quality weekly at all supervised municipal beaches during the summer months, the water quality for the rest of Lake Banook isn't known.
At the Sept. 19 council meeting, Austin will be introducing a motion to have city staff do a study of the water at Lake Banook and Lake Micmac, which are interconnected.
Water study
"The study should identify the source of the bacteria through testing, its spread in the lake, and identify what could potentially be done to address the issue in terms of land-use planning, infrastructure, public education etc.," notes a document about the motion.
Jeff Weatherhead, the principal organizer of the Banook Area Residents Association, supports the idea. He said it's important for people to have access to clean lakes for a variety of reasons.
"If we can get people sharing and using the natural watercourse in a very traditional, recreational way, I think that's going to be an overall positive for our city brand as a place to live and as a place to attract tourists and attract recreational regattas," he said.