Press release from the city of Kelowna on August 26, 2020:
The Swimming Advisory for Strathcona Beach, issued on Aug. 21, has been lifted effective immediately. Water Quality testing indicates the beach meets the guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality.
A Swimming Advisory is typically issued when bacterial counts exceed swimming guidelines and may increase the risk of illness if the water is ingested.
Beach water quality can fluctuate due to a number of factors including lake currents, runoff and the outflow of creeks, changing environmental factors and waterfowl and animal waste; it is typically poorer in the summer when the warm weather escalates bacterial growth and swimmers stir up the lake bottom. Each summer, City staff collects weekly water samples from our beaches for Interior Health to test and analyze. Kelowna beaches being tested include: Sarsons, Hot Sands in City Park, Cedar Creek, Rotary, Tugboat Bay in Waterfront Park, Boyce Gyro and Strathcona.
To help enhance beach water quality please:
For more information, visit kelowna.ca/parks or call the Swimming Advisory Hotline at 250-469-8455.