Newmarket – York Region begins its annual public beach water sampling program this week to monitor bacteria levels in the water. Monitoring bacteria helps determine if the water is safe for swimming.

York Region collects weekly water samples from public beaches for testing. Residents and visitors are encouraged to read signs posted at York Region public beaches to help make an informed decision before entering the water. Blue signs indicate the water is safe and red signs indicate water bacteria levels are considered higher than the acceptable limit.

Water is collected from the following beaches:

Town of Georgina (Lake Simcoe Beaches)

• Church Street Parkette
• Claredon
• Corner Park
• De La Salle Park
• Franklin Beach
• Holmes Point Park
• Jackson's Point Harbour/Bonnie Park
• North Gwillimbury Park
• Peninsula Resort
• Riverview Park
• Sheppard Avenue Park
• Willow Beach Park
• Willow Wharf Dock

Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville

• Cedar Beach Park

Water samples are submitted to the Public Health Ontario Laboratory for E. coli testing to determine if the levels are within the acceptable limits. High levels of E. coli can cause skin, ear, eye, nose and throat infections and stomach illness.

For more information on the beach water sampling program or to find sample results and water temperature of a specific beach, please call York Region Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653, TTY 1-866-252-9933 or visit york.ca/beaches

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