Beach Water Quality

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) monitors water quality at the City of Ottawa’s five supervised beaches, while the City of Ottawa’s Recreation, Cultural and Facility Services (RCFS) operates and manages the beaches, including lifeguard services, maintenance, and beach amenities.

Are you thinking about swimming today?

Swimming in recreational water can be a refreshing and exciting experience, especially in areas where the water quality has historically been good, like Ottawa’s supervised beaches. However, unlike pools, open water has additional risks to consider, such as potential bacteria from wildlife or human activity, weather conditions, and hidden hazards like rocks or sudden drop offs. It's important to be aware of the potential risks involved to ensure a safe and enjoyable time.

Know the factors that increase your risk

Deciding to swim should be based on the real‑time conditions of the beach you're visiting. Environmental factors such as heavy rainfall, cloudy water, visible debris, or the presence of algae can affect water quality and increase risks for swimmers. Because conditions can change quickly and these changes aren’t always easy to see, residents should also check OPH’s most recent beach water quality results. Knowing the risks can help you make an informed decision for you and for your family.

Know your risks before swimming
  • Risks: Swimming in natural waters like rivers can cause injury or illness from microorganisms, leading to ear, eye, stomach, or urinary infections, especially in young children.
  • Heavy rain: Swimming is riskier if it’s raining heavily or if there has been heavy rainfall (20mm or more) in the last 24 to 48 hours. Rain can wash contaminants like bird or dog poop into the water, making it less safe.
  • Severe weather: Lightning is very dangerous, but high winds and heavy rain can also be hazardous and can occur suddenly during a thunderstorm. 
  • Beach conditions: Swimming is riskier if there is visible debris or if algae is present in the water.
  • Cloudy water: High winds and waves can make the water cloudy, hiding hazards and washing contaminants into the water. If you can't see your feet in waist-deep water, it's riskier to swim.
  • Cuts or open wounds: Bacteria in the water can lead to infection when swimming with open cuts or open wounds.
  • E.coli results: High levels of E. coli bacteria can be associated with other germs that can cause skin, ear, throat or stomach illnesses. Scroll down to see the Beach Water Quality Dashboard for long term water quality trends at the various beach locations
How to protect your health before, during and after swimming
  • Precautions to take when entering the water: 
    • Keep your head above and out of the water. Avoid swallowing water or putting it in your mouth.
    • Take children to the toilet before swimming to reduce the risk of children peeing or pooping in the water.
  • Precautions to take after exiting the water: 
    • Wash hands with soap and treated water or use alcohol-based hand rub after swimming or playing in the sand, and before eating or preparing food.
    • Shower as soon as possible after swimming and dry your ears thoroughly with a towel.

Stay safe around water
  • Supervised areas: Swim in areas with lifeguards on duty from noon to 7 pm during the supervised swimming season.
  • Close supervision: Always keep your child within arm's reach when they are in or around water, including pools, bathtubs, and other water sources. Never leave them alone, even for a moment.
  • Lifejackets: Ensure your children and weaker swimmers wear a properly fitted lifejacket or personal flotation device in and around water.
  • Babies: Hold your baby if they cannot sit without support. Never leave babies unattended.
  • Stay sober: Do not use alcohol, cannabis, or drugs when swimming or supervising others in the water.
  • Swimming lessons: Swimming lessons are beneficial but do not fully protect your child from drowning.
  • Emergency preparedness: Know what to do in an emergency, including how to perform CPR and calling 9-1-1.

What is beach water quality monitoring?

During the summer months, Ottawa Public Health (OPH) monitors water quality at the City of Ottawa's supervised beaches in accordance with the Ontario Public Health Standards.

Water samples are collected weekly to test for the presence of E. coli bacteria used to monitor beach water quality. A minimum of five water samples per beach are collected weekly. The geometric mean is calculated, and if it exceeds 200 E. coli per 100mL of water, the sample does not meet the Ontario Water Quality Standard. Elevated levels of E. coli can indicate the potential presence of other disease-causing organisms, which can result in skin, ear, throat or gastrointestinal illnesses. Resampling will occur when the geometric mean of five samples taken at a single beach is greater than 400 E.coli per 100 mL of water.

Algae growth is monitored visually during sampling, and OPH will investigate any potential blooms. Learn about blue-green algae and how it can affect both recreational water and drinking water.

OPH does not close beaches unless there is a significant adverse event such as the presence of a harmful algal bloom, chemical spill or immediate safety hazard. In the event of a significant environmental or safety concern, such as a harmful algal bloom, chemical spill, or other immediate health hazard, OPH works collaboratively with appropriate partners, including Recreation, Cultural and Facility Services (RCFS), the operators of City beaches, to assess conditions and provide public health guidance to protect beachgoers.

Decades of sampling have built a very good understanding of how local conditions, including weather events, affect our beaches, and results continue to show generally good overall water quality. The water quality results are used to track long-term trends and help determine the overall suitability of beaches for use. Water sample results provide a snapshot of water quality at a specific point in time – the moment at which the sample is collected - yet water quality can change rapidly depending on environmental factors like rain, wind and wildlife.

Beach water quality dashboard

Note: A new and improved dashboard will be published in June prior to the official start of beach season.

The Beach Water Quality Dashboard is updated daily for rainfall data and weekly on Wednesdays for E. coli per 100mL during the beach season. Any available resample results are posted on Fridays.

To enter the Power BI report from the dashboard webpage using a keyboard, press Tab once after the “full screen mode” link and press Ctrl + Enter. A small box will appear in the top left corner of the report. Press Tab three times to navigate through the options and you will then be inside the report. From here you can navigate the content of the report using Tab and the other keyboard shortcuts enumerated in the Keyboard Shortcuts document.

Having trouble viewing the report? Try viewing the report in full screen mode. 

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