The Times Advocate, 2004-06-16, Page 1(519)235-1115
www.hurontractor.com
INHURON
TRACTOR
TIMES -ADVOCATE
Exeter, Ontario, Canada
Wednesday, June 16 2004
x.25 (includes GST)
The Exeter Fire Department conducted its food drive for the Exeter Community Food Bank June 12, collecting non-perishable items donated from around the
community before holding its firemen's breakfast Saturday morning. Helping in the collection from left are Shannon Hrudka, Brett Nesbit, Rachel Nesbit, Becca Reid,
Kayley MacGregor, Russell Nesbit, Mike Reid and Jim MacGregor. (photo/PatBolen)
Health Unit water testing for Bluewater beaches
By Pat Bolen
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
VARNA — Bluewater's beaches are generally in good
shape, but testing needs to continue and public aware-
ness of the hazards of faulty septic systems needs to be
raised according to Pam Scharfe from the Huron County
Health Unit.
Scharfe was at Bluewater Council's meeting Monday
night to brief the council on the Health Unit's water pro-
gram testing program in 2003 and what it intends to do
this year.
Scharfe said the unit hired Michael Brodsky as a pri-
vate consultant in 2003 to analyze 10 yeats years worth
of date.
Brodsky is the former Chief of MicroBiology for the
Ontario Ministry of Health provincial Laboratories and
made several recommendations which resulted in
changes to the way the Health Unit conducted its testing
and posting procedures.
Five lakeshore beaches, including Amberley, Ashfield
Park, Port Albert, Goderich Main and Black's Point as
well as Exeter and Wingham inland dams were perma-
nently posted with a red sign for the 2003 season.
The posting meant swimming at the sites could be
unsafe due to high levels of bacteria posing a risk to
human health.
Blue signs are also posted at all public swimming loca-
tions indicating that after heavy rainfall or wave action,
higher bacterial levels are possible for up to two days.
Other 2003 initiatives included public education mes-
sages, point source pollution testing and physician ill-
ness survey reporting which was intended to drawn
feedback from doctors on patients who had been swim-
ming and were reporting illnesses such as gastrointesti-
nal problems.
Scharfe said while none of the surveys were returned
by physicians last year, the program will be continued
this year with the forms also available online.
The Health Unit has a number of ways for the public to
access information about beach conditions and testing
programs, including a telephone infoline, seasonal
newspaper ads and information at tourism booths.
In 2004, Scharfe said the Health Unit will also continue
to make improvements to its web -site since an increased
number of people are using it to check beach conditions.
Sunday sampling will continue in July and August to
determine if the amount of swimmers contributes to
higher bacteria levels.
According to Scharfe, dye testing has already been
done at Blacks's Point which she said has a lot of faulty
septic systems.
Scharfe estimated that of the 64 per cent of residences
along the lakeshore that are on septic systems, "50 per
cent could be faulty."
But she added after talking to septic haulers, it
appears there has been increased awareness of the
problem among homeowners.
Scharfe said Ontario still has the most stringent regu-
lations in the world for E -coli levels in recreational
water.
Asked if there was any studies on the effects of birds
and geese along the shoreline, Scharfe replied, "we
want to work on the things we can control. Wildlife is
not in the top three. Even if we had money, the science
is not exact."
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