Download In response to an initial overflow of diluted sewage on October 11

Cadboro Bay Sewage Contamination
CBRA AGM – 2015
- Rick Page, PhD, RPBio
• The CRD monitors bacteria at swimming
beaches throughout the summer. Counts in
Cadboro Bay were low in 2014
• After some large early storms in the fall of
2014, the CRD began collecting seawater to
test for bacteria
• They found very high bacterial levels and
issued a beach advisory
Fact Sheet: Cadboro Bay Beach Closure
November 2014
• In response to an initial overflow of diluted sewage on October 11, 2014 from the
Humber and Rutland Pump Stations, CRD staff posted signs warning the public of
potentially unsafe conditions along the foreshore area of Cadboro Bay.
• There were also some small additional overflows in response to storm events later in
October.
• The CRD continue to collect weekly samples to evaluate environmental conditions in the
vicinity of the pump stations; the results indicate that bacterial levels remain elevated in
Cadboro Bay.
• Staff are now sampling at different locations, times and weather conditions to locate
other potential sources of contamination (e.g., wildlife, stormwater).
• This includes testing for fecal coliform and enterococci as well as taking samples for
bacterial source tracking (a DNA technique to identify sources of bacteria as human or
animal).
• The CRD continues to liaise with Island Health.
• The CRD will continue to monitor the Cadboro Bay shoreline for changes in bacterial
levels in order to remove the signs at the earliest possible opportunity.
• Posted warning signs for public health risk will remain up until bacterial test results
meet the recreational water quality guidelines.
Sampling Sites
0503 is Hobbs Creek
(draining Mystic Vale)
0508 is at HUM-I (the
storm sewer outlet at the
end of Telegraph Bay
Road)
Enterococci Bacteria
- counts increase after rain
- a break in a sewer line feeding 508 was found in February and repaired
Deep Water Sampling
The stations with white text have low counts. The red zone inshore has high counts.
For sailors and paddle boarders, once you are a short distance from shore, the water is safe.
• The high counts along the beach this spring
appear to be due to animal sources from
Hobbs Creek – ducks and geese
• This has possibly been the case for many years
• For more information from Island Health:
http://www.viha.ca/mho/recreation/beach_reports.htm