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Overall

Update: Warning lifted at Naramata beach

Weekend swimming was discouraged at Manitou Park Beach due to high bacteria level in the lake there

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on Friday recommended that swimmers stay out of Okanagan Lake there due to a high E. coli levels, but the warning was rescinded on Monday.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 ā€œgood and acceptable results,ā€ 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.

ā€œIt could be any number of reasons, but most likely, it’s due to the geese on that beach,ā€ 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 ā€œnot an inordinate riskā€ to anyone who’s been swimming recently at Manitou Beach.

ā€œThe big thing is, especially with children, making sure they’re not drinking the lake water.ā€

She added that none of the other local beaches are affected, and advised people to monitor water quality results on the Interior Health website.

ā€œOverall, the beaches in the Okanagan and most of Interior Health are actually fantastic,ā€ 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.

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