Water Quality
TWC Lessons and Water Quality Explained
We teach on land, on simulators for a portion of lesson and there is a classroom component to it as well, so if water quality is bad much of the lesson can still be completed on land.
The Cherry beach blue flag program allows a maximum bacteria level of 100 parts before closing beach for swimming, rest of canada is 200 parts before closing beach for swimming
Further information can be found at
http://www.torontobeach.ca/beaches/check.jsp
We each should look at this website run by environmental defense,
http://www.torontobeach.ca/beaches/check.jsp
which the city gives the sample results to post the actual levels of bacteria 24 hours after testing, before making our own informed decision before entering the water.
Our instructors are healthy and willing to go out. As windsurfers we don't spend much time swimming in it, but rather more time out of, it on top the windsurfer.
In speaking with city officials off the record, they acknowledged that the water quality is better further off the shore but could not qualify it by percentages.
If the water quality is bad, students may still choose to go out. We ask the students read over some of the risks and decide wether they want to go out. There is an additional form they can sign should they choose to go out.
We ask each person to make their own informed decision about wether or not to go out when beach is closed by blue flag standards
The water results are 24 hours old ( as it takes 24 hours to grow a culture which determines if the beach is to be closed. If it is closed the current policy is to then hold it closed for another 24 hours to verify with second days test that it is safe to swim ( the city actually takes 5 tests every time along cherry beach).
Often we find out days later that the beach was actually safe for swimming when city had closed it according to the phone message.
Unfortunately, it is an imperfect system, so each member must make their own informed decision before entering the water.
Results are available online 24 hours after testing 5 days a week. I have talked to to city about posting online results during the weekend and hopefully that will start as of Aug 4th 2006 long weekend.
If the results were 101 (unswimable) you can make your own informed decision wether to enter the water or not. As windsurfers we spend most of the time out of the water and feel it reduces the risks. Very young children and elderly should not enter the water to swim when the beach is closed. If your immune system is low, have open cuts or wounds, or you are extremely young or old, you are are greater risk and should not enter the water when the beach is closed.
After a large rainfall there is a greater chance of the beach being closed for a day or two. this is primarily from the Don river being flooded with storm sewer runoff which enters the inner harbor, then flows out eastern gap, past Cherry Beach. Depending on wind and wave conditions this may get pushed back into Cherry Beach. When temperatures are elevated during hot summer months this can contaminate the cleaner waters of the outer harbor.
The water quality information is not posted to the website till after lunch usually, but you can always go to a lifeguard station at any city beach and ask them what the bacteria levels were for previous days samples.
Hope this helps.
LTW Volunteer Instructor Committee
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