Update:
It’s safe to go back into the water at Manitou Park Beach in Naramata.
The regional district on Friday recommended that swimmers stay out of Okanagan Lake there due to a high E. coli levels, but the warning was rescinded on Monday.
New results from a test on July 12 produced “good and acceptable results,” according to a bulletin from the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen.
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Swimmers are warned to stay out of the water at Manitou Park Beach in Naramata due to a high level of bacteria.
The warning was issued Friday by the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen on advice from Interior Health.
It’s unknown exactly what caused the bacteria level to spike in that part of Okanagan Lake.
“It could be any number of reasons, but most likely, it’s due to the geese on that beach,” said Jennifer Jacobsen, Interior Health’s team leader for environmental health.
A second possibility, she added, is a small creek that feeds into Okanagan Lake near the beach could have picked up the bacteria during the spring melt.
Jacobsen said there is “not an inordinate risk” to anyone who’s been swimming recently at Manitou Beach.
“The big thing is, especially with children, making sure they’re not drinking the lake water.”
She added that none of the other local beaches are affected, and advised people to monitor water quality results on the Interior Health website.
“Overall, the beaches in the Okanagan and most of Interior Health are actually fantastic,” Jacobsen said.
The beach is owned by the RDOS, which collects water samples for testing, while Interior Health covers the costs associated with the surveillance program.