Report to/Rapport
au:
Health, Recreation
and Social Services Committee/
Comité de la santé, des loisirs et des services
sociaux
and Council/ et au Conseil
20 March 2001/ le 20 mars 2001
Submitted
by/Soumis par: Dick Stewart, General
Manager/Directeur général
Contact/Personne-ressource: Jean-Guy Albert, Program Manager,
Environmental Health Program, Health Protection Division/gestionnaire,
Programme de l’hygiène du milieu, Division de la protection de la santé
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Ref N/n de dossier:
ACS2001-PEO-HEA-0006 |
SUBJECT: 2001 Beach Recommendations
REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
1.
That the Health, Recreation and Social Services
Committee recommend Council receive this report for information;
2. That the Public Health and Long-Term Care Branch continue to monitor all beaches in the City of Ottawa on the same schedule as in 2000, with increases as necessary.
1.
Que
le Comité de la santé, des loisirs et des services sociaux recommande au
Conseil municipal de prendre connaissance du présent rapport;
2.
Que
la Direction de la santé et des soins de longue durée continuera à surveiller
toutes les plages de la Ville d’Ottawa selon le même calendrier qu’en 2000 et
plus souvent si nécessaire.
It is the responsibility of the Medical Officer of Health to make recommendations from a health perspective regarding the use of recreational waters for bathing purposes. The decision to permit bathing at any particular beach will be made by the now Community Services Branch.
In the City of Ottawa, the most relevant factor in determining the bathing water quality is the knowledge of the sanitary conditions at the site, supplemented by the bacterial analysis of the water. Historical sampling results permit an analysis of past trends of bacterial influences at a beach, while ongoing daily sampling permits analysis of current factors influencing the bacterial load at a given time.
The Environmental Health Program monitors the water quality at all beaches within the City of Ottawa. A total of 25 sites on the Ottawa and Rideau rivers are sampled. The in-town beaches (Mooney’s Bay, Westboro and Britannia) are sampled 5 days a week. The out-of-town beaches and monitoring points are sampled once every 2 weeks. Five water samples are taken at the beaches and monitoring points. Currently, the main indicator for assessing human health risks stemming from the use of recreational water is the level of E. coli bacteria. Low levels of E coli usually do not pose health risks when swimming, but this organism is considered the best single indicator of the presence of pathogenic micro-organisms from faecal contamination by warm-blooded animals, including humans. The Ontario standard is currently 100 E. coli/100 ml of recreational water, calculated as a geometric mean. The United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates an illness rate of 8 individuals per 1,000 swimmers in waters containing a geometric mean of 126 E. coli/100 ml of water. Recreational exposures to waterborne pathogenic micro-organisms increase the risk of adverse health effects such as gastroenteritis, ear, eye and skin infections, and acute respiratory illness. Persons with existing health conditions or weakened immune systems may be at higher risk. Health risks are higher with total immersion (compared with wading), and if water is swallowed. The posting of a notice advising against swimming is considered when the daily geometric mean of the 5 samples exceeds 100 E. coli/100 ml of water. The analysis of a water sample takes 24 hours therefore the bacteriological results are not available until the day after the sample was taken.
Samples were taken between May 15 and September 8, 2000. The in-town beaches were open June 10 and 11, 2000 and June 17 through August 27, 2000.
The water quality at Mooney’s Bay Beach exceeded the provincial standard of 100 E. coli/100 ml of water on 12 separate occasions. (The provincial standard was exceeded once in 1999). In 2000, the beach was posted for a total of 3 days.
The water quality at Westboro Beach exceeded the provincial standard on 25 separate occasions. A rainfall of 5 mm or more was recorded on 14 days. The beach was posted for a total of 46 days. (In 1999, the provincial standard was exceeded on 10 separate occasions. The beach was posted for a total of 13 days).
The water quality at Britannia Beach exceeded the provincial standard on 30 separate occasions. A rainfall of 5 mm or more was recorded on 14 days. The beach was posted for a total of 57 days. (In 1999, the provincial standard was exceeded on 21 separate occasions. The beach was posted for a total of 13 days).
The water quality at the out-of-town beaches and monitoring points remained good in 2000.
Rainfall
A total of 278 mm of rain was recorded during the 2000 beach season. (In 1999, that figure was 189 mm). There were 14 days where a rainfall of 5 mm or more was recorded. Four of those days were on the weekend, therefore water samples were not taken the day following the rainfall. When water samples were taken after a rainfall of 5 mm or more, the water sample results at Britannia Beach and Westboro Beach exceeded the provincial standard on 9 of the 10 days.
DISCUSSION
Based on historical data, a correlation was established between rainfall and elevated bacterial counts at Britannia Beach and Westboro Beach. For this reason, these two beaches are posted for 24 hours following a rainfall of 5 mm or more.
Public Health and Long-Term Care Branch, Environmental Health Program will continue to monitor all beaches in the City of Ottawa on the same schedule as in 2000, with increases as necessary. In 2001, the City of Ottawa will open the three in-town beaches to the public on the following dates: June 9 & 10, June 16 through August 26.
For the in-town beaches, the following are recommended:
For the out-of-town beaches, the following beaches should be open for swimming in 2001:
Ottawa River
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Rideau River
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Fitzroy
Provincial Park (2) |
Rideau
Provincial Park (4) |
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Camp
Woolsey |
Baxter Conservation Centre |
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Constance
Bay |
Long
Island (RCMP Camp) |
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Camp
“Y” |
Taylor
Conservation Area |
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Shirley’s
Bay |
Kars
Dock |
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Auger
Beach |
Echolands |
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Baskins
Beach |
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Buckham’s
Bay |
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The following out-of-town monitoring points
should continue to be sampled:
Ottawa River
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Rideau River
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Phiney Point |
Manotick East |
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Ottawa Beach |
Black Rapids |
RURAL
IMPLICATIONS
Recreational water quality will continue to
be monitored at 18 rural beaches and 4 rural monitoring points.
CONSULTATION
No public consultation was required for this report. Under the Ontario Health Protection and Promotion Act and the Mandatory Programs and Services Guidelines, 1997, the Medical Officer of Health has a legislated responsibility to ensure that recreational waters are suitable for bathing purposes.
FINANCIAL
IMPLICATIONS
There are no financial implications resulting from this report.
ATTACHMENTS
The attachments show the 2000 bacteriological results for Britannia Beach (Annex A), Westboro Beach (Annex B) and Mooney’s Bay Beach (Annex C).
DISPOSITION
The Public Health and Long-Term Care Branch will monitor the recreational water quality of the in-town beaches, the out-of-town beaches and the monitoring points and will advise the Community Services Branch, the public and the media when beach postings are required.