The swimming advisory for Strathcona Beach has been lifted by the City of Kelowna.
Water quality testing indicates the beach meets the guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality, and the advisory can be lifted effective immediately.
The advisory was issued on Aug. 21 due to 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. Water quality can typically be poorer in the summer when the warm weather escalates bacterial growth and swimmers stir up the lake bottom.
Each summer, city staff collect weekly water samples from 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.
