Peterborough residents who are thinking of beating the heat by going for a swim in Little Lake should be aware both city beaches are posted as unsafe for swimming as of Tuesday (June 18).
Peterborough Public Health has begun its annual water sampling program for E. coli bacteria at beaches in the city and county of Peterborough, with the two city beaches at Beavermead Park (2011 Ashburnham Drive) and Rogers Cove (131 Maria Street) sampled each business day.
Based on samples from Monday (June 17), both city beaches have been posted as unsafe for swimming. For current results, visit peterboroughpublichealth.ca/your-health/beaches-and-pools/beach-testing-results/
The health unit also samples the water at selected Peterborough County beaches weekly. Based on samples from June 17, all the following county beaches are currently safe for swimming:
- Buckhorn Beach (12 John Street, Buckhorn, Municipality of Trent Lakes)
- Crowe’s Line Beach (240 Crowe’s Line Road, Trent Lakes)
- Douro North Park (251 Douro Second Line, Township of Douro-Dummer)
- Ennismore Waterfront Park (1053 Ennis Road, Ennismore)
- Henry’s Gumming (150 Chemong Street S, Curve Lake)
- Hiawatha Park (1 Lakeshore Road, Hiawatha)
- Jones Beach (908 Jones Beach Road, Bridgenorth)
- Lakefield Park (100 Hague Boulevard, Lakefield)
- Lime Kiln Park (150 Whetung Street E, Curve Lake)
- Norwood Beach at Mill Pond (12 Belmont Street, Norwood)
- Sandy Beach (1239 Lakehurst Road, Municipality of Trent Lakes)
- Selwyn Beach Conservation Area (2251 Birch Island Road, Selwyn)
- Squirrel Creek Conservation Area (2445 Wallace Point Road, South Monaghan)
- Warsaw Caves Conservation Area (289 Caves Road, Warsaw, Township of Douro-Dummer)
The health unit has not yet posted results for the five Peterborough County beaches that are sampled monthly: Belmont Lake (376 Mile of Memories Road, Belmont), Chandos Beach (2800 County Road/Highway 620, North Kawartha), Kasshabog Lake (431 Peninsula Road, Havelock), Quarry Bay (1986 Northey’s Bay Road, Woodview), and White’s Beach (26 Clearview Drive, Trent Lakes).
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit samples water for E. coli bacteria at 56 public beaches within the County of Haliburton, the City of Kawartha Lakes, and Northumberland County. While the health unit’s monitoring program began on June 17, results are not yet available on the health unit’s website.
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health also samples water for E. coli bacteria at municipal beaches. In 2024, the health unit will only sample five municipal beaches on a regular basis: Centennial Park, Deseronto (Bay of Quinte), Frankford Park (Trent River), Kingsford Conservation Area (Salmon River), Tweed Park (Stoco Lake), and Wellington Beach (Wellington Bay). Results have not yet been posted on the health unit’s website.
Once sample results are being regularly posted by regional health units on their websites, kawarthaNOW will begin publishing its weekly beach report every Friday during swimming season.
