Red flags fly at three Ottawa beaches all weekend following heavy rain

A 'no swimming advisory' sign is posted at an Ottawa beach.

The red flags are flying at three Ottawa beaches today due to high levels of e-coli bacteria, including at Mooney's Bay Beach for the eighth time this month.

Ottawa Public Health says swimming is not recommended on Sunday at Mooney's Bay, Petrie Island East Bay and Petrie Island River Beach due to high levels of e-coli bacteria. Water samples are collected daily from Ottawa's supervised beaches and tested.

The no-swimming advisories have been issued at the three beaches all weekend following heavy rain on Thursday and Saturday.

Britannia Beach has been open for swimming on Saturday and Sunday.

Officials have issued no-swimming advisories for Mooney's Bay Beach on five of the past six days, and for eight of the 13 days so far in August. Public health recommended no swimming at the beach July 31 to Aug. 3 due to a possible algal bloom in the water along the Rideau River. Swimming was also not recommended Aug. 8-9 and 11-13 due to rain and high levels of e-coli in the water at the beach.

Petrie Island East Bay beach has been closed five days so far this month for swimming, while swimming has not been recommended for six days in August at Petrie Island.

Britannia Beach is open for swimming on Sunday, but no-swimming advisories have been issued for three days in August at the west end beach.

Ottawa has officially received 94.1 mm of rain so far in August, while some areas saw nearly 100 mm of rain in one day last Thursday.

Summer beach closures

Ottawa's public beaches opened for the summer on June 17, and will remain open with lifeguards on duty until Aug. 27.

Statistics on the Ottawa Public Health website show of the 58 swimming days so far this summer, Mooney's Bay and the Petrie River Beaches had had "swimming not recommended" advisories on 19 days each.

No swimming has been recommended 14 times at the Petrie Island East Bay Beach and 11 days at Britannia Beach.

Here is a look at the swimming not recommended advisories issued for each beach over the last four years

Britannia

Mooney's Bay

Petrie Island East Bay

Petrie Island River Beach