Public beaches in Ajax and Brock unsafe for swimming

If you plan on hitting a public beach in the Durham Region this weekend to cool off, you should note that two beaches are not suitable for swimming.

This week, the region’s health department shared its most recent public beach reports and revealed that Paradise Beach in Ajax and Beaverton South Beach in Brock are not safe to swim in due to elevated levels of E. coli, which exceed the provincial standard of 200 E. coli per 100 ml of water.

“The Health Department reminds the public not to swim in beach water for at least 48 hours after heavy rainfall, as bacteria levels can increase due to run-off,” the region wrote on its website. 

Twelve of the region’s 14 beaches are still safe for a dip, including Beaverton North Beach in Brock, Newcastle Beach Central in Clarington, Lakeview Beach (east and west) in Oshawa, Frenchman’s Bay (east and west) in Pickering, Iroquois Beach in Whitby and Kinsmen Beach in Scugog.

A full list of open and closed beaches can be found here. 

The results are from the week of July 8. 

Throughout the summer, the health department conducts bacteriological water tests to determine if beaches are safe for swimming.