Officials from the Ministry of the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change (MEFCC) sampled water from the beach known as Aquafolie Beach at Camp Des Voyageurs Tim Horton in Quyon on July 27 and have labelled it as polluted.

The analytical results show significant bacteriological contamination and the range has been classified as category D: polluted. Swimming at the beach is prohibited until further notice.

The Beach-Environment Program uses a bacteriological classification of . . .

swimming waters to rate participating beaches and inform the public when they are safe or not. With a D rating, the beach needs to immediately be closed and won’t be adequate to swim in.

The ban on access to the beach is maintained until the sampling results show that the swimming water meets the criteria for class A (excellent), B (good) or C (fair).

“A high concentration of indicator bacteria indicates a high level of fecal contamination, and therefore there is a risk of other pathogenic microorganisms being present and a high risk of contracting disease. Bathing waters must therefore be sufficiently free of fecal contamination, pathogenic micro organisms and other organisms to ensure that the risk to health is negligible,” said Sophie Gauthier, communications advisor for the MEFCC in an email.

The quality of bathing water at a beach can vary depending on the potential sources of contamination in the surrounding environment. This can be divided into two main categories: exogenous (or external) sources and endogenous (or local) sources, explained Gauthier.

“Weather conditions and the presence of waterfowl at the beach are two of the elements that may be determining in the daily variations of the bacteriological quality of the water,” she said.

When asked how often the tests are done, Gauthier highlighted that the frequency of sampling in the Beach-Environment Program is determined primarily by the results of the previous year when the beach was sampled.

“For example, an A-class beach will be sampled at least twice during the summer period and a D-class beach will be sampled a minimum of five times,” she said.

In the case of Camp Des Voyageurs, they sampled the water again on August 2, and it still resulted in a D rating, meaning the water is still polluted.

As a result, the beach will remain closed until further notice from the Ministry. The next sampling was scheduled for August 8, said Gauthier. Results were not available as of press time.

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