To / Destinataire	ToMayor and Members of Council/ Maire et membres du Conseil	File/N° de fichier: ACS2008-CPS-OPH-0003-IPD
From / Expéditeur	From: Dr. Dave Salisbury, Medical Officer of Health/Médecin chef en santé publique
Subject / Objet	Subject2007 Beach Report/ Rapport sur les plages pour 2007	Date: 11 March 2008/le 11 mars 2008

Summary

~~During the 2007 beach season, water quality was acceptable for swimming nearly every day at one of the City of Ottawa beaches~~The water quality at the City’s four supervised beaches was better in 2007 than in 2006, resulting in fewer no-swimming advisories being issued. A research study ~~was~~ completed at Petrie Island ~~and~~ demonstrated: that humans, as well as gulls and other waterfowl, are ~~not the sole~~ contributors to poor water quality at the beach.; The study showed that rainfall impacts the water quality; and that human-related pollution is mostly associated with rainfall events. Ottawa Public Health staff are working to determine a relationship between rainfall and bacteria levels for the purpose of developing a no-swimming rainfall rule at Petrie Island.

Background

Programming and water monitoring are provided by the City of Ottawa at its four supervised beaches: Britannia, Mooney’s Bay, Westboro and Petrie Island. At each of these locations, the Beach Program offers public education about water safety and drowning prevention, ensures public safety and emergency response and provides a safe and fun environment for all beach users. Determining if water quality is suitable for swimming is an integral part of protecting the health and safety of beach users. Under the Health Protection and Promotion Act and the Mandatory Programs and Service Guidelines 1997, it is the responsibility of the Medical Officer of Health (MOH) to make recommendations from a health perspective regarding the use of recreational waters for bathing purposes.

Recreational Water Quality Criteria

Assessment of recreational water quality incorporates knowledge of conditions at the site and bacterial analysis of the water. During the recreational water season, Ottawa Public Health (OPH) samples the swimming areas of the four supervised beaches on a daily basis. Water samples are also collected bi-weekly at sixteen monitoring points along the Ottawa and Rideau rivers.

The MOH issues a no-swimming advisory when bacteria counts exceed 200 E. coli per 100 ml of water sampled, calculated as a geometric mean or when the geometric mean exceeds 100 E. coli per 100 ml of water tested for two or more consecutive days. A 24-hour no-swimming advisory is issued for Westboro Beach following a rainfall of 5 mm or more. The rain rule was developed after historical data demonstrated elevated bacterial counts following rain events of 5 mm or more. Currently, a geometric mean of 100 E. coli per 100 ml of water tested is the recreational water quality standard in Ontario. The federal standard is a geometric mean of 200 E. coli per 100 ml of water tested.

During the recreational water season, beach users are able to access daily water quality results by calling 3‑1-1 and the automated Beach Information Line or by visiting the Ottawa Beaches section of ottawa.ca. The Ottawa Beaches section of the website is updated during Monday to Friday. At the beach, signs are posted near lifeguard stations and a red or green flag is flown to indicate if water is suitable for swimming. A red flag indicates that swimming is not recommended due to poor water quality. A green flag indicates that water quality is acceptable for swimming.

2007 Beach Water Quality

In 2007, the four supervised beaches were open to the public from June 16 to August 26. Table 1 illustrates the results of the 2007 season, as well as historical data. While the table permits comparison of water quality from one beach to the other it is important to note that each beach has unique physical features that contribute to water quality results. Factors such as runoff, the presence of birds and other waterfowl, variations in rainfall from one location to another and improvements to stormwater flows have all impacted different beaches at different times. It is rare to observe all beaches with similar bacterial results in any given swimming season.

Table 1 – Water quality history at City of Ottawa beaches

Year	Britannia		Westboro		Mooney’s Bay		Petrie Island
Year	>100 E. coli / 100 ml water (days)	No-swimming advisories (days)	>100 E. coli / 100 ml water (days)	No-swimming advisories (days)	>100 E. coli / 100 ml water (days)	No-swimming advisories (days)	>100 E. coli / 100 ml water (days)	No-swimming advisories (days)
1990	30	-------------	15	-------------	14	-------------	--------------	-------------
1991	17	-------------	18	-------------	2	-------------	--------------	-------------
1992	19	-------------	11	-------------	3	-------------	--------------	-------------
1993	6	-------------	5	-------------	1	-------------	--------------	-------------
1994	29	-------------	8	-------------	8	-------------	--------------	-------------
1995	20	34	14	0	1	0	--------------	-------------
1996	19	1	14	1	1	0	--------------	-------------
1997	35	10	19	-------------	0	0	--------------	-------------
1998	32	27	20	20	8	0	--------------	-------------
1999	21	13	10	13	1	0	--------------	-------------
2000	30	57	25	46	12	3	--------------	-------------
2001	19	28	12	20	3	0	--------------	-------------
2002	18	18	21	20	5	4	--------------	-------------
2003	2	9	9	11	1	0	--------------	-------------
2004	4	1	14	22	1	0	5	-------------
2005	2	1	22	22	27	19	17	15
2006	2	0	22	29	12	10	48	45
2007	7	3	17	22	8	2	9	6

Britannia Beach

In 2007, three no-swimming advisories were issued and water quality exceeded the provincial standard of 100 E. coli per 100 ml of water tested on seven occasions. At Britannia, two management strategies are in place to help improve water quality. An existing pier at one end of the beach has been extended to direct near-shore river flow out past the swimming area, thereby protecting the swimming area with a physical barrier to bacteria carried out by stormwater outfalls. Overhead wiring is also in place to deter gulls from congregating in the swimming area, thus reducing fecal contamination of the beach by waterfowl.

Mooney’s Bay Beach

In 2007, two no-swimming advisories were issued and water quality exceeded the provincial standard on eight occasions. Two engineering controls are employed at Mooney’s Bay to reduce bacteria levels in the water. A pump at the south end of the beach circulates water through the swimming area at an increased rate than would normally occur at this point. Overhead wiring is also in place to deter gulls from the swimming area.

Westboro Beach

In 2007, twenty-two no-swimming advisories were issued, half of which were issued based on the established rain rule. The provincial recreational water quality standard was exceeded on seventeen occasions. As Westboro Beach suffers from poor water quality during both wet and dry weather, Baird and Associates and the City of Ottawa’s Water Environment Protection Program (WEPP) conducted a four-year study that included monitoring and physical mapping of the underwater geography of the site. The study focused on monitoring creeks, outfalls, the Ottawa River and beach area. Data was used to produce a three-dimensional computer model to identify the effectiveness of potential solutions in the remediation of elevated bacteria levels. It was found that high E. coli counts experienced during dry weather conditions were not specific to one particular source, such as gulls and other waterfowl. As wet weather events are responsible for approximately 65% of no-swimming advisories, it was postulated that remediation of wet weather impacts would offer the greatest benefits with respect to reducing no-swimming advisories. Formalization of the sandbar near the beach and use of stormwater detention facilities were suggested remediation strategies.

Petrie Island Beach

In 2007, six no-swimming advisories were issued and the provincial standard was exceeded on nine occasions. During the 2006 recreational water season, Petrie Island was plagued by very poor water quality and 46 no-swimming advisories were issued. Concern among residents and beach users prompted staff to conduct a study in 2007 to better understand factors affecting water quality at Petrie Island. The results of this study are discussed in the Petrie Island Study section of this report.

Monitoring Points

Of the samples collected at the sixteen monitoring points along the Ottawa and Rideau rivers during the 2007 season, none of the results yielded a geometric mean that exceeded the provincial standard of 100 E. coli per 100 ml of water.

Petrie Island Study

The study was conducted by Environment Canada’s National Water Research Institute to investigate the respective impacts of local pollution sources and the overall quality of the river on E. coli levels in beach water, and to characterize human and animal impacts on recreational water quality. Field observations and water samples were collected weekly at Petrie Island Beach and at upstream Ottawa River locations from May 7 to October 15, 2007. Water samples were analyzed for E. coli, and detection of a human Bacteroides DNA marker. Bacteroides are found in the bodies of warm-blooded animals and have been found useful in microbial source tracking studies as they contain a DNA sequence specific to humans. Thus, the presence of human Bacteroides DNA in a water sample indicates the presence of human-related waste. The laboratory technique employed when analyzing water samples for human Bacteroides DNA will detect the human-specific DNA sequence from both alive and dead organisms.

Field observations found evidence of contamination at Petrie Island Beach from both bird and human sources. Bird droppings were numerous at some places, although their role in beach postings or human health risks remains uncertain. Visual cues of human-related contamination were observed on the beach at times. Presence of these objects along shorelines may be a sign of a sewer overflow event. Visual observations taken at the beach provide valuable evidence of factors impacting water quality and enrich quantitative data collected during the study. E. coli concentrations at Petrie Island Beach were higher in the sand than in the adjacent beach water and they increased in the sand and beach water over the course of the bathing season. These results are consistent with other studies that have found sand serving as a reservoir for E. coli. The human Bacteroides DNA marker was detected in 26% of the beach water samples from Petrie Island Beach in 2007. Both E. coli concentrations and the occurrence of the human Bacteroides DNA marker were more numerous at the Beach following rain events than during dry weather.

Water quality monitoring upstream of Petrie Island Beach found that E. coli concentrations and the occurrence of the human Bacteroides DNA marker were lowest at the Ottawa River transect above the City of Ottawa and City of Gatineau municipal wastewater treatment plant outfalls. At each transect, E. coli concentrations and the human Bacteroides marker were more numerous at sampling locations on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River than on the Ontario side. An exception was the high occurrence of the human Bacteroides DNA marker at the sampling location downstream from the outfall of the City of Ottawa wastewater treatment plant. As the marker can detect the human-specific DNA sequence from both alive and dead organisms, a high positive occurrence downstream from a chlorinated outfall is not unexpected. Bilberry Creek had the highest E. coli concentrations and occurrence of the human Bacteroides DNA marker among the three sampled tributaries to the Ottawa River. The source of human-related contamination at the Beach appeared to be most closely associated with sources on the Ontario side of the Ottawa River. This finding is consistent with an earlier study conducted by the City of Ottawa prior to establishment of a public beach at Petrie Island.

As the impacts of human pollution at Petrie Island Beach were sporadic in 2007 and mostly associated with rain events, the report recommends that it is important to better understand when these impacts are likely to occur in the future and that establishment of a no-swimming rainfall rule may be appropriate. Regular monitoring of the water quality at Bilberry Creek and downstream of the outfall of the Robert O. Pickard Environmental Centre (ROPEC), the City’s wastewater treatment plant is also recommended. In addition, the authors of the technical report recommend close communication between operators of ROPEC and Ottawa Public Health (OPH). Currently, OPH and staff from the Water and Wastewater Services Branch communicate regularly pre and post season, regarding beach operations, water quality issues and monitoring of the Ottawa and Rideau rivers. The report highlights the importance of recognizing the limitations of using a bacterial indicator like E. coli for making water quality decisions in a riverine setting downstream from a chlorinated outfall of a large municipal wastewater treatment plant. However, E. coli remains the provincially mandated indicator organism for freshwater settings. The report concludes that additional research is required to better define and remediate human contamination sources having the most significant impact on Petrie Island Beach. A copy of this report is held on file with the City Clerk.

2007 Motion Related to Beach Operations

On February 15, 2007, the following motion was put forward and carried by the Environmental Advisory Committee:

Whereas public beaches are intended to be open for the enjoyment of people;

Whereas last summer, some Ottawa beaches, particularly the one located at Petrie Island, had to be frequently closed for health reasons, to the dismay of adults and children;

Whereas City staff have had success implementing similar pollution prevention measures at Britannia and Mooney's Bay beaches;

BE IT RESOLVED THAT City Council approve the funds (for Petrie Island), required to:

· Accelerate the necessary research aimed at ascertaining the sources of pollution; and

· Provide appropriate on-site garbage containers, overhead gull wiring and other devices aimed at preventing animal and human pollution of the river water, during the summer season.

CARRIED

In addition to conducting a research study at Petrie Island, specially modified garbage receptacles were erected in 2007. These receptacles are designed to prohibit gulls and other scavenging animals from accessing litter and debris inside garbage bins. At Petrie Island there is a mix of specially modified receptacles and traditional garbage bins. Despite improving the overall number and quality of garbage receptacles, at times there are not enough bins to accommodate large volumes of park and beach users. Minimizing the amount of easily accessible garbage is essential to reducing the numbers of scavenging animals, limiting the numbers of gulls at the beach and maintaining a clean environment for park and beach users. While evidence from the research study at Petrie Island indicates that gulls are not the sole contributor to poor water quality at this location, it is nonetheless important to take steps to limit gull populations at the beach. Installing overhead wiring to deter gulls is not currently being looked at for Petrie Island but staff from the Parks and Recreation Branch are exploring one-time funding options to cover the cost of new garbage receptacles.

2008 Beach Operations

Season Schedule

In 2008, the City of Ottawa will open the four supervised beaches to the public from June 21 to August 24.

Procedures

1. A no-swimming advisory will be issued when bacteria levels exceed 200 E. coli/100 ml of water, calculated as a geometric mean or when the geometric mean exceeds 100 E. coli/100 ml of water on two or more consecutive days.

2. A 24-hour no-swimming advisory will be issued for Westboro Beach following a rainfall of 5 mm or more.

OPH will continue to monitor the water quality of the four supervised beaches on a daily basis. Results will be posted at the beach and available to the public via telephone and website. OPH will continue to monitor the water quality of the sixteen monitoring points along the Ottawa and Rideau rivers.

New Initiatives

In 2007, staff from the Parks and Recreation Branch submitted an application for the Blue Flag Award to recognize the City of Ottawa’s four supervised beaches. The Blue Flag Award is an international symbol of clean beaches and is given to beaches that achieve high standards in water quality, environmental education, environmental management and safety and services. In Ontario, the Blue Flag Program is administered by the non-governmental organization Environmental Defence. This is a new program in Canada but it has been established in Europe for more than twenty years. Currently, nine beaches in Canada fly the Blue Flag. All four City of Ottawa beaches have been designated as candidates for the program and will fly the Blue Flag in 2008. Establishing on-site recycling is a requirement for official Blue Flag certification and is targeted as an area for improvement. Enrolment in the Blue Flag program has been a positive experience for many municipalities around the world by raising the profile of public beaches while ensuring environmental sustainability.

Next Steps

Further to Petrie Island Study recommendations, OPH staff are working to determine a relationship between rainfall and bacteria levels for the purpose of developing a no swimming rainfall rule at Petrie Island. OPH staff and ROPEC operators will continue to communicate on a regular basis. The City of Ottawa’s Water Environment Protection Unit will continue its baseline water quality monitoring during the recreational water season, which includes regular monitoring of Bilberry Creek and the ROPEC outfall.

D.A. Salisbury, MD MHSc FRCPC

Medical Officer of Health

J-GA/KK

cc: Kent Kirkpatrick, City Manager

Steve Kanellakos, Deputy City Manager, Community & Protective Services

City of Ottawa Environment Advisory Committee

2007 BEACH REPORT

RAPPORT SUR LES PLAGES POUR 2007

ACS2008-CCS-CPS-0014 CITY WIDE / À L'ÉCHELLE DE LA VILLE

Councillor Cullen referred to the article he had distributed entitled “Swimming in filth” from the Ottawa Citizen, 24 March 2008. Speaking specifically to the Petrie Island report referenced in the staff memo, he was very concerned about the following startling facts:

· In 2006, Petrie Island lost 60% of the swimming season because of high E.coli counts

· 26% of the beach water sample markers indicate fecal matter related to humans

· A high positive occurrence downstream from a chlorinated outfall is not unexpected

He asked what the conditions were of the Certificate of Approval that allows effluent to come out that could pollute a beach. Dixon Weir, Director, Water and Wastewater Services, explained that the criteria for that facility, established by the Ministry of Environment (MOE), is that between 15 May and 15 November, the monthly geometric mean of E.coli must be less than 200 colony-forming units per millilitre. He indicated that in 2007, the Robert O. Picard Environmental Centre (ROPEC) complied with the criteria during that period. The councillor noted, however, that the criteria for stopping swimming at public beaches is 100 colony-forming units per millilitre and therefore surmised there is a disconnect between what the Certificate of Approval allows for and what the City allows for.

Councillor Cullen was concerned about the floatables found along the beach, i.e., tampon applicators, used syringes, et cetera and maintained that this would suggest that there was some impact from untreated municipal waste water at times during 2007. He further noted that during periods of heavy rainfall, untreated sewage is dumped into the Ottawa River upstream from Petrie Island and he asked where the City is in terms of eliminating that activity. Mr. Weir explained that in terms of the combined sewer overflow (CSO) volumes, the facility currently captures 98.7% of sewage within the catchment area. And, through the Real Time Control Program and the continued Sewer Separation Program (SSP), staff intend to move that rate up to 99.2%. With respect to the former, the City will be commissioning new facilities in 2009 that will see that performance improved and a dramatic reduction in the volume of CSO. He added that the SSP is a $750M long-term strategy (10-20 years). They are currently at 11 square km of combined sewer area left and the Strategy would see a reduction by a further 5 square km at an estimated cost of $150M.

The councillor referred to the conclusions of the report and asked what staff intend to do next. Mr. Weir explained that staff have close communication with the Medical Officer of Health and are stepping up their sampling program at the ROPEC. In terms of effluent criteria, they intend to move up Bilberry Creek this year (that is an important source of E.coli), to determine what the particular source of that is to try to resolve the issue of bacteroids that have been identified there. In response to additional questions, he indicated that staff would be pleased to bring back a report at the end of the season, in terms of their progress on these and their investigations, either to this Committee or to the Planning and Environment Committee. Councillor Cullen asked that if there are going to be financial implications as part of that report, that it be brought forward prior to consideration of the 2009 budget.

Councillor Feltmate noted that beaches are closed when the water reaches a certain E.coli count and asked if the same consideration is given to what is in the sand. Dr. Salisbury explained that the technology for testing sand is a new finding and the human health indications of that are not clear. Extensive research was being done on that particular issue and if it were posing a human health hazard, new standards would be put in place with respect to recreational uses of waters and beaches. The councillor was concerned because while the beach may be closed for swimming, people could still come and play on the sand. Dr. Salisbury later confirmed that a person would have to ingest considerable amounts of the infected sand in order to make them ill.

Despite all efforts detailed in the report, Councillor Bellemare noted that the source of the pollution at Petrie Island is not known and asked what it would take to finally determine the exact source. Dr. Salisbury explained that the study was limited in scope and did not do a full hydrographic look at where water flows happened. He mentioned that it was initially commissioned to determine whether or not gull netting would be a useful strategy at Petrie Island as it has proved to be at other sites. A further exploration of this is warranted if the City is going to get to the root cause of this problem.

The councillor asked why installing overhead wiring to deter gulls is not currently being looked at for Petrie Island, especially since this technology has been effective at other locations. Dr. Salisbury explained that the limitations of the study did not allow staff to make a firm recommendation that gull netting would be the total solution to this problem; it is an expensive and intrusive technology and at this time, staff are taking other measures to control the presence of waterfowl in that area. He confirmed that staff would continue to look at this issue and try to characterize it better.

Following on the comment made previously regarding the two opposing standards for E.coli counts, Councillor Bellemare inquired why the City has adopted the lower federal standard as opposed to testing according to the higher Ontario standard. Dr. Salisbury explained that it is 100 colony-forming units/ml over two days and is not 100 colony-forming units/ml on any one day. And, because of the time between taking the samples and getting the results from the lab, they are developing rules with respect to weather conditions and events that would predict higher counts being found. He anticipated that for the 2008 swimming season, they would impose such a rule at Petrie Island so they would not be totally dependent on lab results that are 18-24 hours old. He confirmed that they use the generally accepted standard for protection of human health and if there are 100 colony-forming units per millilitre over a two-day period, the beach will be closed.

Councillor Bellemare noted that while the results would be posted on the City’s website during the week, it is not updated over the weekend, when the beaches are busiest. Dr. Salisbury advised that weekend staff are unable to access the website, but do access the call centre and phone lines. It is not possible at this time to update the web with the same kind of speed. The councillor believed that should be a basic service the City provides seven days a week and indicated he would be putting forward a Motion to that effect. He suggested that the extra funding approved for the Business Transformation Services during budget could be used in this regard.

Councillor Bédard wanted confirmation that even if Petrie Island is closed for swimming, it could still be used as a park and will not cause danger to the public. Dr. Salisbury confirmed this statement. The councillor noted that in the past, the solution to pollution was simply to close down the beaches and he wondered if it had reached a point where people are concerned enough to say that these resources will be lost if not enough investment in the infrastructure is made to ensure that human contamination does not get into the water course. Dr. Salisbury advised that the current mechanism for monitoring the situation is such that the City can respond on a real-time basis. It would be up to others to decide if it would be cost-effective to continue to operate a beach when it has to be closed on a regular basis. He went on to state that while people know how to prevent pollution, they have been unwilling to do so and to invest in the infrastructure that is required to keep the environment clean.

In light of the fact the Ottawa River is a federal body of water, Councillor Bédard asked what was being done to get the federal government to participate financially in order for the City to upgrade it’s facilities. Mr. Weir advised that there has been no indication of a federal willingness to participate in infrastructure renewal of this nature.

In response to additional questions posed by the councillor, Mr. Weir indicated that the ROPEC is operating in full compliance with all of it’s effluent criteria and there is no driver at this point to cause staff to change the level of treatment; it is a secondary treatment plant and is disinfecting throughout the swimming season.

Councillor Bédard inquired if there is tri-governmental cooperation in looking at the Ottawa River and ROPEC to deal with some of the major issues. Mr. Weir indicated there is interest from the senior levels to look at the issue, but not in providing funding because the infrastructure is the responsibility of the municipality to implement those improvements. He reiterated Council’s commitment to reduce the discharge of combined sewer overflows into the river, which is where the greatest degree of infrastructure funding has gone. The other significant effort is trying to identify the source of contamination coming from Bilberry Creek. He agreed that if so directed, staff would bring forward a report on the results of their findings on Bilberry Creek and what would be necessary to correct whatever problem exists there.

Noting that conditions are not good at Westboro Beach, Councillor Leadman inquired what strategies are in place to address the issues there. Dr. Salisbury referred to the preliminary report conducted by staff and Baird and Associates, which looks at potential remediation for that beach. He indicated that the report is not finalized but the final report would make recommendations on what could be done to alleviate the situation. When asked what the timeline would be when those recommendations might be brought forward, Mr. Weir advised that during the summer, staff will be testing and validating some of the concerns that have been identified and will come back in the Fall with recommendations on how to improve the current situation.

Councillor Holmes asked that the 2008 Beach Report include the history of Petrie Island, including the fact that staff recommended against creating this beach knowing it would be polluted from the ROPEC. In addition, she wanted to know whether tertiary treatment was the long-term solution to the problem and what the costs would be to investing to keep the beach. Mr. Weir advised that staff could bring back a long-term ultimate solution. To clarify the issue of tertiary treatment, he explained it is intended to get out phosphorous and does not offer advantages on E.coli which is the source of particular concern in the opening and closing of the beach. Essentially from a treatment facility point of view, he noted it would come down to disinfection practices and processes and similarly addressing the CSO issue which is also a large source of E.coli. He suggested that it is also important to understand what the City of Gatineau is contributing to the pollution and that that must be part of an overall assessment and long-term strategy to understand completely all contributions to the sources of pollution.

Councillor Monette inquired how the items found at Petrie Beach compared to other beaches. As this was a special study, Dr. Salisbury could not speculate. The councillor thought it would be good information to have when comparing the individual beaches. He then asked if the City was doing everything possible to protect the safety of residents at the beach and Dr. Salisbury explained that if Council wants a long-term solution to protect the river and the environment from human activities, there is a need to do more, such as what has previously been mentioned by Public Works staff. Understanding that wet summers generally result in beach closures, Councillor Monette asked what could be done this year to protect residents at Petrie Island. Dr. Salisbury responded by stating that the City is looking to develop the best prediction rules so they are not waiting for the lab results. He confirmed that every effort would be taken to protect the people using the beach.

Councillor Monette asked how Petrie Island has compared with other beaches since 2003 with respect to the number of days opened, E.coli count, et cetera, Aaron Burry, Director of Parks and Recreation advised that there has been some fluctuation in the number of days of operation and depending on the season and water level, one beach can be impacted far greater than another. The councillor referred to the number of days Westboro Beach had been closed in 2007 compared to Petrie Island and believed the City should be focussing on that beach.

Responding to questions posed by Councillor Bellemare regarding the Blue Flag program, Dr. Salisbury explained that 2008 is an initial year of evaluation, which is done by an independent organization (Environmental Defence). They will look at the performance of Ottawa’s four beaches this year and decide by June whether those beaches meet the criteria to continue to fly the blue flag. He confirmed he would provide an update to the Committee if requested.

Chair Deans recognized the deterioration of the water quality as the river moves down from the Britannia Water Purification Plant to the ROPEC, and by the time it reaches Petrie Island, it is quite problematic. Mr. Weir did not doubt that both Ottawa and Gatineau have an impact on the water quality as it moves downstream. The Chair maintained that both municipalities and the senior levels of government have to accept responsibility for keeping this water source clean and she strongly believed there needed to be discussion between all parties in that regard. When asked how that dialogue could be initiated and to put in place a comprehensive plan to start addressing this significant issue in a real and sustainable way, Mr. Weir advised that staff would be reporting back on a sustainable beach situation and the City is already very much involved with the province and the City of Gatineau in terms of addressing the upstream water quality of both Britannia and Lemieux. The Conservation Authorities on both sides of the river are also making sure time is taken to protect their source water as well.

Councillor Leadman recognized that growth and intensification have an impact on the existing sewer systems and, subsequently, the water quality, and she asked whether any charges applied to developments goes towards improving that infrastructure. Mr. Weir indicated that where there is intensification it is on the basis there would be no additional adverse effect on the existing infrastructure. Based on the latter comment, the councillor wondered if there was a quantifiable percentage that determines what is “no adverse effect”. Mr. Weir explained that it is mostly with respect to flows into those collection areas and indicated he would discuss this further with the councillor off-line.

Moved by M. Bellemare

That Ottawa Public Health continue to explore ways and means of determining the sources of E. coli at Petrie Island and bring forward recommendations to address the causes of such pollution once determined.

CARRIED

Moved by M. Bellemare

That the City install all necessary garbage containers, aimed at preventing pollution of the river water at Petrie Island.

CARRIED

Prior to voting on the next Motion, the Chair questioned whether this could be done and how much it would cost. Dr. Salisbury presumed it was technologically possible, but did not know what the cost would be because it would involve additional staff time and people with specific expertise would have to be involved. When asked if he had any concerns, Mr. Kanellakos suggested it should be discussed with the Director of IT Services and, if there is an issue, it would be brought back to the Committee. Councillor Bellemare suggested that by the time this item rises to Council, staff can provide the necessary information.

Moved by M. Bellemare

That the City website be updated every day, including weekends, regarding the daily water quality results for all four supervised beaches during the beach season.

CARRIED

Moved by D. Holmes

That the 2008 Beach Report that includes Petrie Island Beach provide information on the history of the creation of the public swimming beach and on long term water quality improvements that may be needed in order to prevent any contaminated water effluent.

CARRIED

Moved by A. Cullen

That the Community and Protective Services Committee recommend Council receive this report for information.

CARRIED

SUBJECT:	2007 BEACH REPORT

OBJET :	RAPPORT SUR LES PLAGES POUR 2007

2. 2007 BEACH REPORT

Submitted by / Soumis par: Rosemary Nelson, Committee Coordinator /

DISCUSSION

CONSULTATION

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

M E M O / N O T E D E S E R V I C E

ToMayor and Members of Council/ Maire et membres du Conseil

From: Dr. Dave Salisbury, Medical Officer of Health/Médecin chef en santé publique

Subject2007 Beach Report/ Rapport sur les plages pour 2007

Summary

Background

Recreational Water Quality Criteria

2007 Beach Water Quality

Britannia Beach

Mooney’s Bay Beach

Westboro Beach

Petrie Island Beach

Monitoring Points

Petrie Island Study

2007 Motion Related to Beach Operations

2008 Beach Operations

Season Schedule

Procedures

New Initiatives

Next Steps