Even though the temperature is up, three beaches in the City of Ottawa were closed to swimmers Tuesday because of high E. coli levels.
A no-swim advisory is in place at Mooney's Bay (E. coli count: 219), Westboro (E. coli count: 210), and Petrie East Bay (E. coli count: 1000). The Britannia beach and Petrie River beach remain open to swimmers.
The city posts no swim advisories whenever the coliform count is 100 or greater for two consecutive days, or the count is 200 or above on a single day.
Swimming in water with high E. coli can increase the risk of gastrointestinal illness, as well as eye and ear infections.
"I can tell you it's frustrating to be in Ottawa and be surrounded by water and not be able to swim in it," beach-goer Sylvia Welke told CTV Ottawa on Tuesday.
The city tests all five of its public beaches every morning. Five samples are taken from each beach and they get sent to a provincial lab for testing. Test results become available 24 hours later.
The city says wet weather is a big factor when it comes to high E. coli levels. That's because heavy rain often washes sewage and other pollutants into the river. High winds can also wash pollutants onto the shoreline.
"It can be many things; it can be stuff that is washed because of heavy rains, it can be because of birds, animals that have been on the beach, or it can be from far away being pushed by the waves, by the winds," said Jean-Guy Albert, of the City of Ottawa.
The city says Britannia beach is the most reliable in terms of having clean water. Britannia beach has fewer no-swim advisories than any other public beach in Ottawa.
City officials say that's because guide wires keep seagulls away, and the pier diverts polluted water away from the shore.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Karen Soloman
