Point Clark Beach posting, update
Updated Wed, July 1

Rain playing a factor at the Point Clark Beach

By Darrell Ziegler

Health Unit says that barring any heavy rainfalls or high winds, the posting at the Point Clark Beach should not last long.

On Monday, June 26, the Grey Bruce Health Unit announced that water samples taken at the Point Clark Beach showed elevated bacteria levels, resulting in the beach being posted unsafe for swimming.

Lou D’Alessandro, health protection manager for the health unit, says that samples taken on Wednesday, June 21 and Friday, June 23 exceeded Ontario’s standards for acceptable bacterial levels.

He said that no tests were taken on Tuesday, July 27, due to rainfall in the area. “Even if there was no rain in Point Clark, input from rivers could bring in bacteria and cause E .coli levels to rise.”

Samples were taken Wednesday, July 28. There has been no word as to the results.

Unfortunately, rainfall on the following days may have caused levels to rise.

The beach remained closed on the Canada Day weekend.

D’Alessandro could not specifically say what the E .coli counts were, but did say, “I can tell you that although the results exceeded Ontario’s standards, they fell within Canadian guidelines.”

In Ontario, the maximum E .coli count can be no greater than 100 colony forming units (cfu) per 100 ml. If two consecutive tests read over 100 cfu per 100 ml, the beach is posted as unsafe for bathing. Before the beach is considered safe, two consecutive tests must show readings under 100 cfu per 100 ml.

Canadian guidelines allow for 200 cfu per 100 ml.

Matt Pearson, senior planner for the consulting firm BM Ross and Associates says that it’s important for residents to know that although test results reading higher than Ontario’s guidelines are not a good thing, “we do see ups and downs.”

“Ontario has some of the most stringent testing standards in the world. In other countries, the recommended safe level for E. coli is anywhere from 300 to 500 cfu per 100 ml.”

He says that E.coli is killed by sunlight after a couple of days in the lake, however it can stay alive when mixed in with sand, stones and algae, because of the lack of direct sunlight on it.

When storms or high winds occur causing heavy wave action, it stirs up the bottom and the shoreline E-coli levels tend to rise.

Once the bottom is stirred up, it may take several days for bacteria levels to drop due to the dilution factor.

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