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Water Conditions

Water Quality

Huron County Beach Conditions

 

The Huron County Health Unit samples the Goderich beaches once a week from June to August, in accordance with the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care's Beach Management Protocol. The water quality must not exceed the guideline of 100 E. coli per 100mL of water. For beach water quality information call Beach Water Info line at 1 888 221 2133, ext 2501.

Water Advisory

Beach Notices                                                             
The quality of Lake Huron water can change dramatically day to day, hour to hour or even minute to minute with either heavy rainfall or high wave action or both. The Health Unit encourages recreational users of Lake Huron to read the signs to reduce health risks and avoid swimming if:

  • You can't see your feet when standing in waist deep water; and/or
  • A heavy rainfall has occurred up two days prior to swimming.

Here's what you can do to protect our beaches:

At Home

  • Pick up after your pet. Pet wastes can pollute the lake with harmful E. coli.
  • Conserve water. Take shorter showers, never run water unnecessarily, and use cold water instead of warm.
  • To reduce the amount of water, pesticides and chemical fertilizers you use in the garden, try planting native species. These plants have adapted to the local climate and require less water to thrive.
  • Be conscious of what is going down the drain. Do not dump hazardous household products and chemicals down the drain. Whenever possible, use non-toxic household products. Take hazardous household waste to the Huron County Hazardous Waste Depot located a the Mid Huron Recycling Centre.
  • Downspouts on many homes carry polluted rainwater from the building roof directly into the combined sewer system which can affect beaches. Keep beaches healthy by disconnecting your eaves trough downspout to allow the water to be discharged on to your lawn or garden. Use a rain barrel!

At the Beach

  • Respect the beach and natural sensitive areas. Keep clear of areas marked as sensitive. Not respecting these areas can have huge negative effects on beach vegetation and animals.
  • Garbage is the most visible sign of pollution on beaches. It attracts unwanted pests. Be responsible for your garbage by placing all garbage and recyclables in the proper bins. Please don't feed the birds
  • Food and waste attract wild visitors that can affect water quality. Whatever you take to the beach, you take away. Use reusable containers or try to bring a limited amount of food to the beach to avoid attracting wildlife.
  • Observe local by-laws that prohibit dogs at swimming beaches. Many municipalities have dog off-leash areas for your pet. The Town's is south of the Cove Beach, at the very end of Cove Rd. 

 

What's Up Along the Lake Huron Shoreline?  Information provided June 2020 with respect to Lake Huron water levels, shoreline erosion and more provided by Maitland Conservation.

 

 

 

 What is drinking water source protection?

 Source water is the raw, untreated water that we take from lakes, rivers and underground aquifers to supply people with drinking water. “Drinking Water Source Protection” or “Source Water Protection” means protecting these sources of drinking water from contamination and overuse. The focus is on prevention!

 Where does the Goderich drinking water come from?

The Goderich water supply is drawn from Lake Huron. The area 1 km around the intake is called the Intake Protection Zone- 1 or IPZ -1 and where the water takes 2 hours to reach the intake is IPZ-2. These areas are where the municipal water supply is most vulnerable. If you see a spill call the Spills Action Centre at 800-268-6060.    

   

The Need for Drinking Water Source Protection

   
  • The Clean Water Act, 2006. Its purpose is to protect existing and     future sources of drinking water by a multi-barrier approach.
  • Water treatment is not always enough. Water treatment systems do not remove all contaminants from water,     particularly chemicals such as fuels and solvents. The safest approach is     to prevent contamination.
  • Prevention saves money.  It     is much cheaper to keep water clean than it is to try and remove     contaminants.
  • Other benefits. Clean and plentiful water also supports     tourism, recreation, business development and fish and wildlife habitat -     all of which are important to our local economies.
  • Source Protection Plans.  Developed by a local committee, these took     effect on April 1st, 2015, to ensure storage of fuel, chemicals     or waste as well as agricultural activities close to municipal water     supplies do not cause contamination to the drinking water.
       

  For more information go to www.sourcewaterinfo.on.ca or call 1888-286-2610

You can also get information on the provincial website: http://www.sourcewaterprotection.ca and go to the Information Atlas