Test results from water samples taken this week at Southampton Beach show bacterial levels have returned to within Ministry of Health guidelines for safe swimming/bathing.

As a result, Grey Bruce Public Health, in consultation with the Town of Saugeen Shores, has lifted the swim advisory for the public beach, between High Street and Beach Road.

“We’d like to extend our thanks and appreciation to Saugeen Shores residents and visitors who adhered to the no-swim advisory at Southampton Beach. We know these advisories can be an inconvenience, especially in the middle of summer, but they are put in place when bacterial levels in the beach water are such that they could pose a risk to human health,” says Senior Public Health Manager Andrew Barton.

Southampton Beach was posted as unsafe for swimming on Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, after Grey Bruce Public Health received the results of beach water samples taken two days earlier. In Ontario, the recreational water quality guideline is a maximum of 200 E. coli per 100 mL of water.

People who swim, play in, or use beach water with high bacterial levels are at an increased risk of getting sick or an infection.

Even if a beach is not officially posted as unsafe for swimming, Grey Bruce Public Health advises people to use their best judgment before taking a dip or allowing children or pets to swim or play in the water. Water quality can change from day to day or even hour to hour depending on the weather and other conditions.

Do not swim or play in beach water within 48 hours of heavy rainfall, if the water is so cloudy that you cannot see your feet at waist-deep, or if there is a large number of birds or algae in the water.