High bacteria levels cause swimming advisory in Lake Country

The warm weather may be making you want to go swimming, but you might not want to go in Lake Country.

Signs have been posted at Reiswig Regional Park because of poor water quality. Interior Health recommended that the Central Okanagan Regional District post the signs at the park and the District of Lake Country followed the instructions.

The regional park and Beasley Park on Wood Lake will have advisory signs until further notice.

The advisory is a notice for swimmers to let them know that bacterial levels are currently higher than normal. The maximum number of E. coli bacteria in recreational water is 200 per 100-milliltre sample. According to the District’s website, Interior Health recommends an advisory when the bacterial counts are high over a period of multiple samples.

“The risk of infection is directly related to bacterial counts in the water. When E. coli reaches 200 units per 100-millilitre sample it’s expected that one per cent of bathers may develop gastrointestinal illness (GI) if these bacteria are ingested. For every one GI illness, two to three other illnesses – skin rashes (swimmer’s itch excluded) and eye, ear and throat symptoms – can be expected. The very young, the very old and people with weakened immunity are the most susceptible,” the website states.

Tthe advisory will be lifted and the signs will be removed when bacteria levels have gone down.