Six beaches, including all three in Clarington, declared unsafe for swimming

Six beaches in Durham Region have been declared unsafe for swimming as rains and continued humid weather play their part in elevating e-coli counts in the water.

Kinsmen Beach in Port Perry, both Beaverton beaches (North and South) and all three beaches in Clarington: Bowmanville East, Bowmanville West and Newcastle Beach have all been posted by Durham’s Health Department, which tests the waters weekly as part of its beach monitoring program.

Declared safe for swimming is Thorah Centennial Park Beach on Lake Simcoe and seven beaches on Lake Ontario: Frenchman’s Bay East and Frenchman’s Bay West in Pickering; Lakeview Beach East and Lakeview Beach West in Oshawa; Paradise Beach in Ajax; and both Whitby beaches – Whitby Beach and Durham’s newest beach, Iroquois Beach at the foot of Gordon Street.

Tests carried out at all Durham Region beaches include testing water samples for high levels of bacteria to let beach visitors know which beaches are safe for swimming. Unless otherwise indicated, results reflect routine, weekly monitoring conducted by Health Department staff.

The Health Department is no longer testing water samples from Elgin Pond as there is no swimming beach at the pond.