Willows Beach in Oak Bay is once again under a beach advisory for bacteria contamination in the water, and Bazan Bay in Sidney has been added to the list.
On August 11th, both Willows Beach and Bazan Bay were discovered to have a high level of enterococci, so Island Health and the Capital Regional District (CRD) have declared the water unfit for humans or pets to swim in.
The Town of Sidney posted a warning on social media of the water quality at the south end of Lochside Drive, known as Bazan Bay.
“A Beach Advisory has been issued following recent tests in this location due to high levels of bacteria which can pose a risk to health. The water is considered unsafe for swimming and water contact activities,” the town warned.
Enterococci is found in soil, water, food, sewage, plants, human skin, the oral cavity and the large intestine. If levels are too high, humans and animals can be susceptible to a bacterial infection.
Developing an enterococcal infection can manifest as sepsis, a urinary tract infection (UTI), and infections of the heart and brain.
An advisory is given when the levels exceed 35 enterococci per 100 ml sample—Willows Beach reads at 7,800 per 100 ml sample and Bazan Bay is at 427 per 100 ml sample.
These two beaches are just the latest to have been found unfit for swimming and water recreation. Currently, Island Health has 10 beaches on their advisory list.
The other beaches that have had advisories issued for them are: Thetis Lake, Prior Lake, Elk Lake Eagles Beach, Elk Lake Hamsterly West, Elk Lake Hamsterly East, Ross Bay Beach, Beaver Lake and Art Mann Park.
Art Mann Park’s bacterial contamination advisory is the oldest, dating back to 2015, but remaining active all the while.
To see Island Health’s updated list of beach advisories, click here.
