Durham Region Weekly Beach Report
Back to SearchWhitby, Ontario - Durham Region Health Department has started testing waters at designated public beaches throughout the Region as part of the 2020 Beach Monitoring Program. Test results for the week of June 19 indicate that no beaches have been posted as unsafe for swimming due to elevated bacteria levels; however, five area beaches have been closed by the local municipalities and were not tested by the Health Department. For more information on these closures, please contact the appropriate municipalities. Beaches are posted as unsafe for swimming when elevated levels of E. coli exceed the Provincial standard of 200 E. coli per 100 ml of water.
| Municipality | Beach | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Ajax | Paradise Beach (Lakeview Blvd. and Paradise Lane) Map this location | Open |
| Brock | Beaverton North Beach (Wellington St. and Victoria St.) Map this location | *Not tested |
| Brock | Beaverton South Beach (Simcoe St. & Harbour Park Cres.) Map this location | *Not tested |
| Brock | Thorah Centennial Park (Shoreline Rd. RR#47 and Thorah Concession Rd. 9) Map this location | *Not tested |
| Clarington | Bowmanville East (Port Darlington Rd. and East Beach Rd.) Map this location | Open |
| Clarington | Bowmanville West (West Beach Rd. and Cove Rd.) Map this location | Open |
| Clarington | Newcastle Beach Central (Mill St. South and Boulton St.) Map this location | Open |
| Oshawa | Lakeview Beach East (Simcoe St. South and Lakeview Park Ave.) Map this location | *Not tested |
| Oshawa | Lakeview Beach West (Kluane Ave. and Lakeview Park Ave.) Map this location | *Not tested |
| Pickering | Frenchman's Bay East (Wharf St. and Liverpool Rd.) Map this location | Open |
| Pickering | Frenchman's Bay West (West Shore Blvd. and Beachpoint Promenade) Map this location | Open |
| Scugog | Kinsmen Beach (Palmer Park - Water St. and Mary St.) Map this location | Open |
| Uxbridge | Elgin Pond (Mill Pond - Main St and Mill St.) Map this location | **Not tested |
| Whitby | Whitby Beach (Heydenshore Park - South Blair St. and Water St.) Map this location | Open |
*The Health Department has been advised by the Township of Brock and the City of Oshawa that the beaches in these municipalities are currently closed. Therefore, the start of the beach monitoring program has been delayed in these municipalities until the beaches reopen. While the sampling of the water at public beaches within Durham Region is the responsibility of the Health Department, processes and restrictions related to COVID-19 at area beaches are the responsibility of the local area municipalities. More information is available in the guidance document, COVID-19 Public Health Guidance for Public Beaches posted at durham.ca/reopeningtoolkit.
**A Blue Green Algae Advisory sign has been posted at Elgin Pond due to the identification of a small blue green algal bloom. Therefore, water samples were not collected this week from Elgin Pond for testing.
The Health Department reminds the public not to swim in beach water for at least 48 hours after heavy rainfall, as bacteria levels can increase due to run-off.
Throughout the summer, the Health Department will be conducting bacteriological water tests to determine if these beaches are safe for swimming. The Public Health Ontario Laboratory in Peterborough provides analyses of all water samples submitted for testing. Each week when test results are reviewed, they will be sent to members of the media to assist with public notification of beach postings. Media notifications will be done by Friday of each week.
For more information about the Health Department’s Beach Monitoring program, please visit durham.ca/beaches, or call Durham Health Connection Line at 905-668-2020 or 1-800-841-2729.
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For more information, please contact the Health Department.
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