The NWT government expects to receive new test results in the coming days that will help establish whether elevated E coli levels at a Yellowknife beach are a genuine concern or a faulty test.
Signs warning people not to go swimming were placed along the beach at Fred Henne Territorial Park on Thursday.
The GNWT has said routine monthly monitoring recorded high levels of E coli and other bacteria. In a Friday email to Cabin Radio, the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment – which is responsible for territorial parks – said samples were taken on June 25 and the results came back on Thursday, necessitating immediate action.
Health Canada says E coli levels of 235 colony-forming units per 100 ml are the level at which action should be taken. The GNWT told Cabin Radio its June 25 samples returned an estimate of 1,050 to 1,410 per 100 ml.
“Due to these results we have ordered further tests, with future results coming in within 24 hours while the issue persists, and will continue to do so every two-three days,” an ITI spokesperson said by email on Friday evening.
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So far, ITI has said the beach is the only area of Long Lake where an issue has been identified.
Asked why that would be, the department said at least one other area had passed its routine tests – and raised the possibility of a testing error.
“We cannot speak for the entire lake, but testing at the boat launch did not indicate high levels of bacteria. We are awaiting results of follow-up testing that should tell us whether it was a sampling error or continued elevated levels,” the spokesperson stated.
Beaches at Reid Lake and Prelude Lake territorial parks are also routinely tested. No other test results beyond Fred Henne’s beach raised any concern regarding elevated bacterial levels, ITI said.
