Beaverton beach.

Beaches

Home Health and Wellness Public Health Inspections and InvestigationsBeaches

Weekly beach monitoring for the 2025 season has begun

Throughout the summer, Durham Region Health Department tests water at public beaches from the beginning of June to the end of August as part of its beach monitoring program. 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.

Find weekly beach results on Check&GO! Durham

Online, real-time inspection results for Durham Region's inspected public beaches are available in our online disclosure portal, Check&GO! Durham. Please note that Frenchman’s Bay East Beach is temporarily unavailable due to maintenance.

Visit durham.ca/BeachResults to find the latest inspection results for your favourite beach!

Weekly beach report media release archive

Blue-green algae

What is blue-green algae?

Blue-green algae are microscopic, plant-like organisms that occur naturally in ponds, rivers, lakes and streams. Blue-green algae can occur as blooms in the water, or can also be present in the water even if no bloom is seen. The algae are often blue-green in colour, but can also be olive-green or red.

How to identify blue-green algae

The water looks cloudy.

Do not swim or let children play in the water.

Algae may be in balls or flakes in the water, like a pea puree.

Do not swim or let children play in the water.
Do not use the water for drinking, cooking, rinsing foods, or washing dishes.
Do not let pets or livestock drink the water.

There is a dense bloom and may look like a paint spill or scum on the water.

Do not swim or let children play in the water.
Do not use the water for drinking, cooking, rinsing foods, or washing dishes.
Do not let pets or livestock drink the water.

Adapted with permission from Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit.

Protect yourself, your family and your pets

People can protect themselves and their pets from blue-green algae blooms by not swimming or playing in areas where water is discoloured, or where foam, scum or mats of algae on the water’s surface are present. Also, children and pets should not play in or drink water in areas where a water quality advisory is posted, and consuming fish from areas where mats of algae are present, or where a water quality advisory is posted, is also not advisable.

Report blue-green algal blooms

To report blue-green algal blooms, call the MECP's Spills Action Centre at 1-866-MOE-TIPS (663-8477), or call the Durham Health Connection Line.

More information

Blue-green algae monitoring and signage

What is Blue-Green Algae? sign

Water Quality Advisory sign

Blue-green algae signs will be posted at all public beaches in Durham Region throughout the swimming season. What is Blue-Green Algae? will provide the public with general information about blue-green algae and precautionary measures you can take when visiting our beaches.

If a blue-green algae bloom is identified by the Health Department through a visual confirmation and/or confirmation by water quality testing conducted by the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP), a Water Quality Advisory for blue-green algae will be posted at the affected beach and will replace the general information sign.

If a Water Quality Advisory is issued for blue-green algae at a beach location, signage will remain in place for the remainder of the beach season.

Testing for blue-green algae is not conducted on a routine basis. Water conditions can change quickly and at any time. You may see a Water Quality Advisory sign posted at beaches where you may not see an algae bloom. Always take a cautious approach. Toxins that can be harmful to both humans and animals may still be present.

To report blue-green algal blooms, call the MECP's Spills Action Centre at 1-866-MOE-TIPS (663-8477), or call the Durham Health Connection Line.

Swim safe

Beach sign indicating high levels of bacteria Durham Region Health Department tests the water at public beaches for bacteria to help you know if it’s safe to swim.

If the test results are higher than the provincial guidelines for recreational water, we let the public know by putting up a warning sign at the beach and posting the results on Check & Go! Durham, our public reporting page.

If there is no warning sign posted, you can still follow some general safety tips.

Avoid swimming if you can’t see your feet when standing in waist-deep water.
If it has rained in the past two days as bacteria levels may be higher.

In Durham Region, all public beaches have permanent 'Notice' signs posted.

These signs remind visitors not to swim for at least 48-hours after heavy rainfall, as bacteria levels in the water may be higher and could be harmful to your health.

What are the risks of going into the water?

We may post a sign because the water has bacteria that could give you an infection, especially if you have an existing infection or open cut.

The most common issues are:

Minor skin issues
Eye infections
Nose infections
Throat infections
Upset stomach

The people who are most at risk for these infections are:

Young children
Older people
People with weak immune systems

What is polluting our beaches?

Several sources of water pollution can cause us to post a sign. These include:

Heavy rain or storm water run-off into rivers and lakes.
Storm water run-off that contains bacteria from animal droppings.
Storm water run-off from ditches and storm sewers.
Overflows from sewers that have both sewage and storm water.
Overflows that have not been treated by municipal or industrial sewage treatment plants.
Domestic septic systems that are not properly maintained and poorly located.
Illegally connected sanitary sewers and poorly installed basement washrooms.
Run-off from manure piles and feed lots.
Run-off from farming lands near swimming areas.
Farming activities, particularly cattle operations that are not properly managed.
Large numbers of water birds that settle at a beach or surrounding area.
Environmental conditions such as wind, rain, sunlight, air and water temperature.
Waste left from boats.

How can you help to keep our beaches clean and safe for swimming?

Respect stoop and scoop bylaws. Pet droppings are a big cause of bacteria in storm water. Pick up dog droppings right away from streets, public parks and private property.
Improve septic systems and keep them working properly.
Make sure that any washrooms that you add to your home are properly connected to the sanitary sewer pipes or your private sewage disposal system.
Do not attract animals or birds to beaches by feeding them.
Clear backwash pool water three days after the last chemical treatment. Clear it into the sanitary sewer or to the storm sewer.
If you allow pool water to flow across a lawn, some water will enter the ground and most pool chemicals will dissolve into the air.
Wherever possible, detach eaves trough downspouts so that rainwater goes into the ground rather than into the sewer.
Lower water use at home. This helps avoid overflow problems at some municipal sewage treatment plants that may cause untreated sewage to enter lakes and rivers.
Consider a driveway of crushed or interlocking stone. An open surface driveway such as this reduces the amount of storm water that goes into the sewer system. It also refills groundwater.
In farming areas, keep livestock away from streams and give them another source of water.
Make sure that run-off from feed lots and manure piles are contained properly.
Practice pollution-free boating by properly disposing of human wastes.

Adapted with permission of the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.