South Coast Water Quality info added to BWD
Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2023 8:34 am
I was finding it difficult to find the latest info on beach water quality so I added some info to the website.
This is the best site to check for the latest advisories: https://inspections.myhealthdepartment. ... h-advisory
If you start digging then you can find the most up to date water samples from various beaches (and hot tubs?): https://inspections.myhealthdepartment. ... ter-sample
The issue I find is that the samples are only taken once every few weeks and the time between the sample taken and the update is already a few days old. Then if there is an advisory, they will issue a notice and might put up a warning sign on the beach and they will keep them up for several weeks. I am sure they do the best they can with limited resources.
The other great source is the Surf Rider Blue Task Force. They also take samples and post results but do not have the authority to issue advisories. The updates seem a bit more frequent.
I combined the two sources into a table with historic plots. Click on the site name to see a popup from the source: https://bigwavedave.ca/water-quality.html?site=475#data
I also added the latest result to the Willows, Island View, Ross Bay and Dallas Road webcams. The button below the webcam image will be green, yellow or red and show you the age of the result. Click on the button to see the source info: https://bigwavedave.ca/willows-beach.html
As always, it is best to check the original source for the most accurate data.
If you can, please donate to Surf Rider Vancouver Island or South Vancouver Island chapters:
https://vancouverisland.surfrider.org/donate
Here is some info on Enterococci: "Enterococci closely satisfy many characteristics of a suitable indicator of faecal contamination in recreational waters. Many species within the group enterococci are found in high numbers in human and animal faeces. They are not commonly found in unpolluted waters and are generally regarded to be incapable of growth in recreational waters (Ashbolt et al., 2001). Compared with other indicator organisms (e.g., E. coli, thermotolerant coliforms), enterococci have demonstrated greater resistance to certain environmental stresses in recreational waters, such as conditions of sunlight and salinity. Enterococci have also demonstrated greater resistance to wastewater treatment practices, including chlorination. A strong correlation has also been demonstrated between the concentration of enterococci in marine waters and the risk of gastrointestinal illness among swimmers (Cabelli, 1983; Kay et al., 1994)."
Stay safe.
Dave
This is the best site to check for the latest advisories: https://inspections.myhealthdepartment. ... h-advisory
If you start digging then you can find the most up to date water samples from various beaches (and hot tubs?): https://inspections.myhealthdepartment. ... ter-sample
The issue I find is that the samples are only taken once every few weeks and the time between the sample taken and the update is already a few days old. Then if there is an advisory, they will issue a notice and might put up a warning sign on the beach and they will keep them up for several weeks. I am sure they do the best they can with limited resources.
The other great source is the Surf Rider Blue Task Force. They also take samples and post results but do not have the authority to issue advisories. The updates seem a bit more frequent.
I combined the two sources into a table with historic plots. Click on the site name to see a popup from the source: https://bigwavedave.ca/water-quality.html?site=475#data
I also added the latest result to the Willows, Island View, Ross Bay and Dallas Road webcams. The button below the webcam image will be green, yellow or red and show you the age of the result. Click on the button to see the source info: https://bigwavedave.ca/willows-beach.html
As always, it is best to check the original source for the most accurate data.
If you can, please donate to Surf Rider Vancouver Island or South Vancouver Island chapters:
https://vancouverisland.surfrider.org/donate
Here is some info on Enterococci: "Enterococci closely satisfy many characteristics of a suitable indicator of faecal contamination in recreational waters. Many species within the group enterococci are found in high numbers in human and animal faeces. They are not commonly found in unpolluted waters and are generally regarded to be incapable of growth in recreational waters (Ashbolt et al., 2001). Compared with other indicator organisms (e.g., E. coli, thermotolerant coliforms), enterococci have demonstrated greater resistance to certain environmental stresses in recreational waters, such as conditions of sunlight and salinity. Enterococci have also demonstrated greater resistance to wastewater treatment practices, including chlorination. A strong correlation has also been demonstrated between the concentration of enterococci in marine waters and the risk of gastrointestinal illness among swimmers (Cabelli, 1983; Kay et al., 1994)."
Stay safe.
Dave
