It’s safe to go into the water again.
Barnet Marine Park beach, which had been closed for nearly a month, is once again open to swimmers, according to a water quality report by Fraser Health released on Aug. 1.
The beach was closed in early July after water samples revealed elevated levels of E. coli – a bacteria often found in intestines of warm-blooded animals and humans – in the water.
Fraser Health requires that water samples contain less than 200 E.coli bacteria per 100 millilitres for it to be considered safe to swim.
Samples with more than 200 E. coli per 100 ml are consider unsatisfactory and will result in a closure, according to Fraser Health and the Guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality.
Water samples taken from Barnet Marine Park beach in July had more than 400 E. coli bacteria per 100 ml, according to the City of Burnaby.
There is currently 112 E. coli bacteria per 100 ml in the water off Barnet Marine Park, according to Fraser Health’s recent water quality report.
