High E. coli levels close 4 popular swimming spots in New Brunswick
Mactaquac Provincial Park Camper's Beach near Fredericton and 3 Saint John sites above guidelines
A no-swimming advisory has been issued for several popular lakes and beaches in New Brunswick because of high levels of E. coli.
Campers' Beach at Mactaquac Provincial Park, west of Fredericton, is more than 2½ times the national guidelines, the Department of Health's website shows, while samples at Lily Lake, Fisher Lake and Little River Reservoir in Saint John also had "high" readings of the bacteria, the city announced Wednesday.
Mactaquac's main beach is still suitable for swimming, according to the Department of Health's website.
No information about the cause of the elevated levels has been released, but earlier this month, a department spokesperson suggested heavy rainfall might have been to blame for other recent shutdowns.
"Bacteria sometimes make their way to beaches due to a combination of environmental and meteorological conditions," Sean Hatchard said at that time.
"Possible sources include surface water run-off from agriculture and urban areas, sewage system overflows, birds, wild and domesticated animals, and faecal shedding from swimmers themselves."
Under the Guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality water is considered safe for swimming when a single-sample maximum is equal to or less than 400 E. coli/100 mL, and a geometric mean of the most recent five samples is equal to or less than 200 E. coli/100 mL.
Mactaquac's Camper's Beach has had two recent single samples above the guidelines, the department's website shows.
The most recent reading on July 17 was 1,119.9 MPN/mL. MPN stands for 'most probable number' and refers to an analysis that uses dilution methodology and a probability calculation to determine a statistical estimate of the number of viable cells in a given volume of sample.
The E. coli readings at the Saint John sites have not been released.
Increased risk of illness
Warning signs have been posted at all the sites and they will remain closed for swimming until deemed safe by health officials.
Swimming in waters with bacteria levels above the guidelines will not necessarily make people sick, the Department of Health spokesperson noted, but it increases the risk of illness "beyond every day levels."
The level of risk will depend on for how long and by how much the guideline values are exceeded.
Possible health risks of swimming in water with a high E. coli count could include gastrointestinal upset, skin irritation or infection, and upper respiratory illness.