E. coli levels at Queen’s Royal Beach may put a damper on people’s weekend plans.
The Region of Niagara has declared Queen’s Royal Beach unsafe for swimming this week after routine testing of the water.Â
After the water failed an earlier test this week, on Thursday the region’s latest water quality advisory announced that Queen’s Royal was still unsafe.
“There are a number of factors that could contribute to the high levels of E. coli in the water,” said Brandon Krupa, the region’s manager of environmental health.
He cited weather as a likely contender, with the amount of rain and wind potentially altering the water’s quality.Â
“Each beach is different, with its own characteristics and some have better flow, some are more stagnant. All that plays a factor into the water quality,” Krupa said.
The beach at Ryerson Park, about two kilometres west of Queen’s Royal, is not listed as an official beach and therefore is not tested.Â
The water at Queen’s Royal Beach is tested each Monday, Wednesday and Friday in summer. The quality level is updated 24 hours after testing – the next update will be posted on Tuesday, July 18.Â
“The important thing to remember is that samples are just a point in time: the wind changes, the weather changes, the rain, the amount of animals,” Krupa said.Â
Queen’s Royal Beach has been open for swimming about 76 per cent of the time this season.
Krupa urged swimmers to be mindful of water status before heading in for a dip. Updates are available at NiagaraRegion.ca.Â
If one beach is posted unsafe for swimming, Krupa said there will be other options available.