Water Quality

The Cottage Association, municipality, provincial Ministry of the Environment, and FOCA perform different types of water quality testing throughout the year. This testing has been ongoing for over 20 years. Below is a summary of some of the current testing that has been performed.

Coliforms and E. coli

The majority of organisms measured by the Total Coliforms test occur naturally in the environment, and enter the lake through soil runoff and decaying organic matter. There is little evidence that human activity contributes significantly to Total Coliforms readings.

E. Coli, an organism which is abundant in human and animal excreta, is now favoured as an indicator of fecal contamination. Studies have shown that illness rates among recreational water users increase with fecal-associated bacteria levels in the water. Health Canada has established a guideline of 0 E. Coli/100ml for drinking water, while Ontario uses 100 E. Coli/100ml as the recreational water guideline. Because children typically ingest quantities of lake water while swimming or playing, the GBA has proposed an objective of 10 E. Coli/100ml for our recreational waters.

These tests are performed by the Cottage Owners’ Association. Click on the links below to review the results from the last five years of testing.

Annual Testing

The E. coli results are slightly poorer than those obtained in 2021, primarily due to the anomalous reading at Ranger’s Tower. Cottagers are encouraged to ensure their septic systems are functioning correctly and properly maintained in order to maintain lake water quality. We hope to continue the water quality monitoring program in future years to enable us to track the effectiveness of our efforts to preserve this important natural resource. For further information on the program contact Simon Edwards, Lot 172.

Total Phosphorous

The township performs total phosphorous testing.

Phosphates enter the lake from animal and human waste; a buildup of phosphates can cause algae and a slowdown of the natural decomposition of matter in the water; insufficient phosphates will not fully support aquatic life. 10 to 20 µg/L of phosphate is the desired range for Canadian waters according to Environment Canada.