Swimming not recommended at Lake Country beach

The signs are up at Pioneer Beach in Oyama advising people not to go swimming.

The Interior Health Authority has posted the signs after water tests came back from the lab with unacceptable levels of E. coli.

According to guidelines on water quality issued by Health Canada there are a number of ways the water at the Kal Lake beach could have become contaminated with the E.coli.

“The water may be contaminated with fecal material from discharged sewage, storm water runoff from agriculture or urban areas, wild or domesticated animals and even through fecal shedding by swimmers themselves.”

Fecal shedding by swimmers is another way to say pooping in the water.

Pioneer Beach is currently the only beach in the Okanagan where swimming isn’t recommended.

Kelowna’s Gyro Beach has a moderate water quality rating.

All the other beaches Interior Health test don’t have any water quality issues.

IH posts weekly beach water quality ratings on their website.

To contact the reporter for this story, email halexander@infotelnews.ca or call 250-491-0331.