NEWS UPDATE: On Friday, July 4, the latest test results by Niagara Region’s public health department gave Queen’s Royal Beach a passing grade for the first time in two weeks.

The water was sampled on July 3 and results showed its E. coli level had diminished, making the water safe for swimming. Next sampling is scheduled for Tuesday, July 8, with results available the next day. 

Residents and visitors are advised to check the results online regularly and note the region’s advice that beach conditions can change rapidly, depending on weather and other factors.

EARLIER STORY:

Beachgoers are still in the water at Queen’s Royal Beach despite a warning from Niagara Region about dangerous levels of E. coli contamination, suggesting that one sign encouraging potential swimmers to search online for water safety levels may not be enough.

Starting June 19, the beach was marked as unsafe for swimming due to dangerous levels of E. coli, according to the Niagara Region’s online beach water advisories — as of Wednesday, July 2, it was still deemed unsafe for swimming.

Still, people at the beach could be seen paddleboarding, jet skiing and swimming in the water.

Some NOTL residents are worried out-of-town visitors won’t know the lake isn’t always safe for swimming.

“There are a lot of tourists in town, and they don’t know that they might have an issue with the water,” Niagara-on-the-Lake resident Katie Doe said.

But if there were extra signs placed on the beach, visitors looking for photo opportunities might become frustrated with the disruption of the view, she added.

Signs on the beach warning about E. coli levels are no longer the region’s policy.

After the beach initially failed testing two weeks ago, officials replaced the “Welcome to the beach” sign at Queen’s Royal with the formerly used bright yellow signs warning people to avoid the water.

Then, two days later, the yellow “warning” sign was replaced with the region’s new “This beach is monitored” sign, which was still there when The Lake Report visited the beach last Sunday afternoon, June 29.

For now, the single sign overlooking the busiest part of the beach may not be drawing enough attention to deter tourists from taking a dip.

“We had no idea,” said Rosa Skovrup, who was visiting NOTL from Denmark.

She said she and her friend, who is also on vacation, wouldn’t have thought to check a website for water safety information before going into the lake.

The region might have to do more than put up a sign to keep other tourists aware of the risk, Skovrup added.

The Mayo Clinic says that swallowing water with high E. coli content can lead to an infection that causes stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting.

E. coli is especially dangerous for children, seniors and those with depressed immune systems, the region warns on its website. In severe cases, the bacteria can lead to kidney failure. It is usually more severe in children than adults.

Nelly Senra, a beachgoer visiting from Brampton, said a flag system could resolve the issue, like those used at other public beaches warning about winds, strong currents or the presence of dangerous marine life, calling the lack of awareness of the E. coli “concerning.”

“There should be more,” Senra said. “You need to get the word out somehow.”

She said she even took her six-year-old cockapoo, Mia, for a dip in the lake before realizing the potential risk.

However, she added that she doesn’t have enough information about what exactly constitutes a dangerous level of E. coli.

“I just wonder, how unsafe is it?” Senra said. “What is an unsafe level?”

Lisa Cox, a spokesperson for Niagara Region public health, says when the region is testing a location’s contamination levels, it takes five water samples from evenly spaced points along the length of the beach.

Then, it issues a swimming advisory if the average E. coli level of the five samples is more than 200 E. coli per 100 milliliters, or if any single sample exceeds 400 E. coli per 100 mL.

Those testing also take samples from roughly the same spots each time the water is tested, she added.

The region tests Queen’s Royal every Tuesday and Thursday from Victoria Day to Labour Day. Many factors, including heat, wind, larger numbers of swimmers and heavy rainfall, can all affect E. coli results.

Even though Senra wasn’t planning on swimming while in NOTL, she explained the deterrent was that she simply isn’t a swimmer, not the E. coli. But the same couldn’t be said for the dozens of visitors on the lake.

As long as the summer heat persists, the lake’s popularity may not dwindle until more awareness about the bacteria is raised.