Safe Recreational Water
We inspect public recreational water facilities to ensure they are safe for the public to enjoy. This includes public pools, beaches, hot tubs, splash pads, and wading pools.
All public pools, spas, and splash pads are required to have on-site disclosure. This means that signs must be visible to the public that reflect the results of their latest health inspection. The public can also find inspection results for public pools and spas on our ChooseWise website.
What we do
Some of Northwestern Health Unit’s (NWHU) services and information related to safe recreational water include:
Injury prevention in and around water
Even the best swimmers can have an accident in or near water. By taking the proper precautions, you can ensure your own safety and the safety of those around you.
Here are some tips to stay safe while enjoying recreational water:
- Never swim alone.
- Enroll your children in swimming lessons or classes.
- Wear a properly fitting lifejacket when doing any water activities such as fishing, boating, or waterskiing.
- Make children wear a lifejacket during all times when on a boat or dock.
- Avoid alcohol around water, especially when supervising children.
- Have a phone nearby and know what to do in case of emergencies.
- Complete a pleasure craft operator course if you plan to operate a boat.
- Never operate a boat while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- Ensure that all individuals on a boat, especially children, have and use a properly fitting lifejacket.
- At home: never leave a baby or child unattended in the bathtub.
- Ensure someone is present with CPR training.
Beach safety
The health unit assesses over 28 public beaches across our region. Beach samples are taken if there is reason to believe beach water may not be safe for swimming, usually in response to complaints. We disclose inspection results online on our Inspection Disclosure page.
If you are concerned about the safety of a particular public beach in the region, call the health unit and you will be connected with a public health inspector.
All beaches and playgrounds in our region are smoke-free.
Tips for beach safety
Water may contain high levels of bacteria for up to 2 days following heavy rainfall or strong winds. So you’ll want to think about any recent weather events that might affect water safety. Also, watch for waterfowl like geese, gulls and ducks. Large numbers of waterfowl at a beach can result in high bacteria levels making the beach unsafe.
Follow these safety tips to prevent illness or injury:
- Do not drink the water.
- Supervise your children at all times.
- Don’t swim with an open cut or wound.
- Avoid swimming in the water if it is cloudy or murky.
- Check for physical hazards before going into the water.
- Wash your hands after swimming if you are handling food.
- Wear sunscreen.
Permanent Beach Signage
Public beaches have signage installed in designated locations. The permanent sign allows individuals to use their own judgement about whether or not it is safe to swim based on the current conditions.
In addition, red closure signs are posted when there are very high levels of bacteria that exist in the water, and it is unsafe to swim. They are also used if there are any physical or chemical hazards present at the beach. Individuals should not swim at beaches where this sign is posted.
We post all beach closures online on our Inspection Disclosure page or our Beach Water Sample Results and Closure page. Check ahead to make sure the beach you plan to visit is safe to do so!
Recreational water facilities disclosure
We disclose inspection results for public pools, spas, and splash pads both on-site and through our ChooseWise disclosure website.
The on-site disclosure signs for recreational water facilities must be posted at all public entrances. They will either be a Green “Pass” sign or a Red “Closure” sign. If the facility you are visiting displays a green sign, they are following the requirements of the regulations, although there is little room for a few minor infractions. If there is a red sign, the safety of that facility cannot be guaranteed and must be closed until safety can be assured.
