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Check for beach water safety before you swim this summer

July 10, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

Now that summer is here, people are back to enjoying a swim at the many public beaches in the region.

But before heading out to your favourite public beach, you should check with the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit’s website to look for swim advisories.

Designated public beaches are sampled for E. Coli bacteria throughout the summer to ensure safe swimming conditions. Water samples are typically collected once a week, although this may be reduced to monthly if a beach consistently had good water the previous summer.

Note that only public beaches are tested. Public beaches are owned and operated by a municipality and open to the general public for swimming.

If you have a private waterfront or beach, you can get the water tested by a licensed laboratory.

There are several conditions that affect water quality and may require a beach to post a warning or be closed for swimming.

Heavy rain can wash contaminants into the water. Avoid swimming 24 to 48 hours after heavy rainfall.

Strong winds can stir up sand and silt, making the water cloudy. If you can’t see your feet in waist-deep water, bacteria levels may be high and you should exercise caution.

Warm, shallow water and wet sand can promote bacteria growth. Always wash your hands or use hand sanitizer after being in the sand or water.

There are three levels of water quality thare used to let the public know how safe a beach is for swimming.

If there is no advisory posted, it means it is safe to swim at the beach. This means bacteria levels in the water are below the recreational water quality guideline of 200 E. Coli per 100 mL. Test results are usually received 24 hours after samples are collected.

Keep in mind that beach water quality can change hourly due to environmental conditions. You should be aware of conditions that impact beach water quality and make an informed decision before swimming.

This means there is a risk of minor skin, eye, ear, nose, or throat infections and stomach illness.  If there is a swim advisory in effect, avoid dunking your head or swallowing water if you decide to go swimming.

A swimming advisory will be lifted once water testing shows bacteria levels are below the recreational water quality guideline.

There are times when a public beach may be closed.

This occurs when there is a significant risk to health and safety that has been identified. This may be the result of sewage or a chemical spill.

Beach closures are rare, however, if a beach is closed, you should not risk going into the water.

As of June 27, there are only two swimming advisories posted in the Simcoe-Muskoka region, out of 53 swimming areas monitored by the health unit. 

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