Don’t swim at these three Hamilton locations

The water quality at three popular swimming areas has Hamilton Public Health Services warming people away.

Affected areas are Bayfront Park, Valens Conservation Area and Binbrook Conservation Area.

Hamilton Public Health monitors beaches in accordance with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care guidelines where beach samples are collected and tested for E. coli bacteria at least once per week during the swimming season.

High numbers of E. coli in the water at public beaches indicate contamination with feces and the potential presence of other harmful microorganisms in the water. The provincial standard is 200 E. coli bacteria cells per 100 ml of water or 200 colony-forming units per 100 ml.

E. coli concentrations at or above the standard could cause an increased risk of infection. Swimming in these waters could cause infections in the ears, eyes, nose, throat and skin as well as cause diarrhea if the water is ingested.

At Binbrool the E. coli level is 287 while at Valens it is 310. Bayfront is closed because of its history of poor water quality.