ARE OUR BEACHES SAFE FOR SWIMMING? NOW WE KNOW.
By John H. Neil M.A., C.P.H.

The answer is a qualified ‘YES’. The Tiny Township map (see facing page) indicates the geometric mean of nine samples for each location sampled at weekly intervals over the summer. In all a total of 1,595 samples were collected in this study, 949 samples at more than 100 locations by volunteers, 456 samples at ten locations by Health Unit staff, 160 samples at four locations at Awenda Park, and 30 samples at one location by Councillors at Marygrove Camp.

A review of this data indicates that 75% of the shoreline locations sampled at good to excellent quality water, 22% of fair quality water where individual high readings were recorded and three locations where the mean for the summer exceeded Ministry of Health recreational guidelines. In general the water quality improved south to north. All locations around the north end of the Township reported excellent quality. Three locations sampled by the volunteer program from the south end of the Township resulted in a geometric mean greater than 100 E. coli per 100 ml. and undoubtedly there would have been warnings posted in this area had they been public swimming beaches. The second area of concern is Lafontaine Beach and Cove Beach. These locations are public and were sampled by Health Unit staff. High counts found at both in August resulted in their being posted for one or two weeks.

In interpreting the results, it should be recognized that the Simcoe County Health Unit have a responsibility for water quality only for public beaches. Their sampling procedure requires five samples to be taken fronting each public beach area and water quality is derived from a geometric mean of the five results. A similar protocol was used at Awenda Park and Camp Marygrove. The volunteer program, because many more sample locations were used and the cost of analyses was a constraint, took one sample each week at each location. When each location was sampled nine times over the summer, it provided a suitable number of results from which a geometric mean could be calculated and the water quality assessed.

The bacteria group E. coli was used as the measure of water quality for this survey. This bacteria is found only in the intestinal tract of warm blooded animals. Every person produces many million every day and concentrations of shoreline birds like gulls and geese contribute this organism directly to the shoreline waters. With a few unusual exceptions, E. coli do not in themselves produce disease but, because they are of fecal origin, disease organisms too few to detect analytically could be associated with them. Consequently their numbers are considered a relative indication of fecal pollution and health standards in Ontario have been set at zero for drinking water and 100 per 100 ml. for swimming beaches.

Analysis for E. coli is a relatively simple test where a sample of the water to be treated is placed in a culture dish containing a special growth gel and incubated at body temperature (37 C). Each bacteria will produce one colony within 24 hours and these are counted to provide the number recorded. Samples collected by the Health Unit were analysed by the Ministry of Health Laboratory in Orillia and the volunteer sample analyses were provided by the Central Ontario Analytical Laboratory also located in Orillia. This is a provincially accredited laboratory and is the facility used by Tiny Township for analysis of its drinking water systems.

When measuring the quality of water using E. coli as an indicator, numbers may vary widely, as, in normally clean water, perhaps some particle with bacterial attachments will give a high number. For this reason, a number of samples are normally taken from one general shoreline. If an arithmetic average were calculated, one high result would cause a high mean. For this reason a geometric mean is used by the Ministry of Health protocol in reporting results to rationalize the effect of isolated high values. The numbers reported in the map represent the geometric mean of 30-54 samples taken over the summer at public beaches sampled by the Health Unit and Awenda Park and Camp Marygrove and nine samples at each location collected in the Volunteer Program.

In organizing this survey, many shoreline residents expressed an interest in knowing the water quality of streams flowing over the beaches and into the Bay. These waters frequently pond on the beach and children are attracted to the shallow ponds where they can paddle and build their dams and sand castles. The streams along the Tiny Township shoreline with one exception are generally spring fed and arise only a few kilometres from the shore. The exception is the stream which arises close to Awenda Park and meanders through agricultural lands and forested areas before flowing into the Bay just south of the 13th Concession.

A total of 17 streams were selected for sampling. In each case the sample point was from flowing water upstream from the pond at the shore. As the results came in, it was soon apparent that several were regularly producing counts of more than 600, the maximum count reported by our laboratory. As these numbers became known to residents, there was a concern as to the safety of children contacting the water. In three instances, homemade signs were placed in the stream warning of high E. coli counts. The table below shows the distribution of geometric means for streams (and ditches/drains) sampled.

STREAM SAMPLE RESULTS
Streams with Number of Streams
Mean < 200 10
Mean 200 - 400 3
Mean 400 - > 600 8
Total 21


The problem with interpreting the significance of coliform levels in streams is that the health standard (i.e. <100 E. coli/100 ml) is set for swimming waters sampled 15-30 cm below the surface at a 1 to 1.5 m. depth. There are no standards for shallow streams flowing into receiving waters and these are not considered swimming waters. The question remains, however, as to whether the numbers found in some of the streams constitutes a public health hazard. In Ontario the responsibility for public health is vested in the Medical Officer of Health and before the final report on the Tiny Township shoreline sampling program is prepared, his interpretation of the findings will be requested. It should be noted that literally hundreds of these minor flows occur in the waters of Simcoe County. The Health Unit does not have the personnel to routinely sample these waters. If others find elevated counts that are deemed to constitute a public health hazard, the Health Unit no longer has the budget required to investigate the source of the contamination and enforce corrective action.

The foregoing study was planned to provide a one time comprehensive body of information on the water quality of the Tiny Township shoreline and Farlain Lake as measured by E. coli numbers. The results reported heretofore indicate we have been successful in achieving this objective. While the data demonstrates good quality water extends over most of the shoreline, several areas of concern were identified which suggests that further work is required to find and, where possible, eliminate sources of contaminants. This, of necessity, is the work of professionals and in our future discussions with responsible authorities, we will encourage them to resolve any problems deemed to be of public health significance.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This study was sponsored by the Federation of Tiny Township Shoreline Associations (FoTTSA) which coordinated the volunteer effort, raised the money required for analysis, posted results on its website (http://tinycottager.org) and arranged for this and other reports to be published. The author assisted in technical planning and reporting.

We are indebted to the Simcoe County Health Unit, and in particular to Eric Watson of the Midland Office and Ted Devine of the Barrie Office, for their support in planning the study, coordinating their sampling program to match the volunteer dates and locations, delivering samples from Midland to the Orillia laboratories, receiving the results from the laboratories, and for doing the geometric mean calculations for this report.

The “foot soldiers” who did the work were the volunteers – the 32 samplers who waded to appropriate depths in the early morning each week so the four captains could pick up the samples and deliver them to Midland by noon. These are all public spirited citizens interested in doing their part to ensure that high quality water can be enjoyed by all along the Tiny Township shorelines.

The total cost for laboratory analysis and a few sundry expenses for the project was approximately $7,500. These funds have been raised through private donations, sale of coupon booklets, and contributions by beach associations. TD Friends of the Environment Foundation Community Fund contributed $1,000. Without all of these generous contributors, this valuable environmental initiative could not have been completed.