A swimming advisory has been lifted at Anniversary Beach on Chestermere Lake, but two other lakefront parks remained closed for further bacterial testing as of Aug. 19.
According to Kathy Russell, directory of Community Operations with the City of Chestermere, the lake undergoes weekly water monitoring in the summer. Recent test revealed concerning levels of fecal bacteria, causing the three parks that sit on the lake to be closed.
“We were alerted to some water quality issues that were temporary,” Russell said. “Anniversary Park is now fine for swimming, but just to be cautious, we’re still waiting for more test results for Sunset Park and Cove Beach.”
During the week of Aug. 10, some water samples exceeded the provincial levels of fecal bacteria deemed safe for swimming, resulting in a swimming advisory for all three parks, she said. Anniversary Beach was later reopened Aug. 19.
“If those levels are high, it could be from runoff from the land, from a storm pond or it could be human or bird sources,” she explained.
Russell said recent tests have shown the fecal bacteria levels are decreasing, and levels from Aug. 18 are below the threshold where it is unsafe for swimming.
However, Cove Beach and Sunset Park initially had higher readings and, therefore, the City was conducting a few more tests to be safe, Russell said. The results were expected Aug. 21 after press time.
The City has also increased the frequency of water testing, Russell said. Tests will be conducted daily instead of weekly until the levels are down.
“The water quality is usually very high because the Bow River has water flow through [the lake] on a regular basis,” she said. “But even so, we do weekly testing at the public beaches.”
Russell was not aware of any swimmers who have become sick because of the recent bacterial levels and said contact with infected water commonly manifests as gastrointestinal symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea.
“People could also experience it as skin, eye or ear infections,” she added.
To prevent swimming in the lake, Russell said signs were installed at the public beaches, and the advisory was circulated through social media.
“We also have a distribution list specifically for lakefront homeowners, so we try to target people that are in and around the lake,” she said.
Motorboats, kayaks and other water vessels can still be used on the lake, but people are advised not to swim, she said.
The last time fecal levels were an issue in the lake was in 2015 when Chestermere experienced heavy flooding after excessive rainfall, Russell said.
“That was a really unique event,” she said. “At that time, the water was tested in Anniversary Park, and we did close it for a day or two.”
Kate F. Mackenzie, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @katefmack
