Lake Echo Beach closed to swimming due to high bacteria levels
People are advised to stay out of the water until further notice
Lake Echo Beach in Lake Echo, N.S., was closed to swimming Wednesday after water quality testing found high levels of bacteria.
People were advised to stay out of the water until further notice, according to a news release from the Halifax Regional Municipality.
City staff regularly test the water quality at all supervised municipal beaches during the summer months, as well as Malay Falls, which is unsupervised.
The release said preliminary testing shows bacteria levels at Lake Echo Beach exceed Health Canada's swimming guidelines.
High bacteria levels can be caused by a number of factors, including dogs, wildlife and high temperatures.
City staff will continue testing the water until bacteria levels are safe. Residents will be updated when the beach reopens.