Water and Pool Safety
Recreational water includes pools, hot tubs, water parks, beaches, lakes, rivers, and oceans. While these places are used for fun, exercise, or relaxation, unsafe water or facilities can lead to illness, injury, or even death.
Recreational Water Illnesses (RWIs)
You can get sick from germs or chemicals in the water or air. They can enter the body by:
- touching the water (skin contact)
- swallowing the water
- breathing in water droplets or mist
Common illnesses include diarrhea, stomach upset, skin rashes, ear infections, and eye or throat irritation. Germs that cause RWIs include E. coli, Norovirus, Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Shigella, Pseudomonas (hot tub rash), Legionella, and Schistosomes (swimmer’s itch).
Recreational Water Injuries
Injuries happen in and around water, including:
- cuts, scrapes, or broken bones from unsafe surfaces
- suction or entrapment from pool drains
- overheating in hot tubs
- head or spinal injuries from diving into shallow water
Drowning Risks
Drowning is the leading cause of recreational water deaths. Most occur during swimming, and private pools (especially for children and seniors) are a major risk. Proper supervision, lifeguard standards, and safe practices can prevent many drownings.
In Ontario, the Office of the Chief Coroner has created guidelines for public pools, called admission standards, to help reduce the number of young children that drown each year. Admission Standards for Class A Public Pools were created to help lifeguards and assistant lifeguards make sure there is enough supervision of young bathers in the pool and surrounding area.
How to Stay Safe
- aways supervise children and weak swimmers; use lifejackets when needed
- take swimming lessons and learn first aid
- follow posted safety signs and lifeguard instructions
- check that water is clear before swimming
- avoid diving into shallow areas
- stay away from drains and suction devices
- shower before swimming; avoid the water if you’re sick or have an open sore
- pregnant people and those with health conditions should talk to a doctor before using hot tubs
Visit Parachute Canada for more information on staying safe in the water
- Admission Standards for Class A Public Pools (PDF 140KB)
- Canadian Drowning Report, 2019 Edition (PDF 4MB)
- Protect Your Family by the Pool brochure (PDF 1.4MB)
- Drowning Prevention video
Public Beaches
Swimming at the beach is a fun summer activity, but water quality can change with the weather and other factors. The MLHU works with local beach owners and operators to monitor water quality and help keep beaches safe for the public.
Beach Water Monitoring
We work with local beach owners and operators to help keep beaches safe for the public.
From June to September, some beaches are tested weekly for bacteria levels and other risks, such as chemical or physical hazards. Other beaches are permanently posted with signs to let people know they are not monitored.
When a beach is sampled, at least five water samples are collected and sent to the Ontario Public Health Lab for testing. To learn more about how samples are collected, see the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s Operational Approaches for Recreational Water Guideline, 2018 (PDF).
Many factors change the safety of beach water, including:
- water and air temperature
- rainfall in the last 24–48 hours
- weather conditions (cloudy, sunny, etc.)
- wind speed and direction
- water clarity (how clear or cloudy the water looks)
- wave height
- pollution sources, such as waterfowl (birds), industrial or agricultural run-off, septic system leaks, storm water outflows, or algae blooms
Latest beach samples in Middlesex-London
Acceptable
The most recent water test did not find harmful levels of bacteria. However, water quality can change quickly with weather or other conditions.
Closed
A beach is considered unsafe and closed when high levels of bacteria or other hazards are found. Signs and/or barriers are put in place to let the public know the beach is closed.
Examples of events that can lead to a closure include:
- high levels of bacteria
- chemical, oil, sewage, or other waste spills
- wastewater treatment plant bypasses
- blue-green algae blooms or heavy algae growth
- large fish or wildlife die-offs
- dangerous debris, metal, or sharp objects in the water or on the beach
Risks of swimming at a posted or closed beach:
Swimming in unsafe water can cause:
- illnesses such as diarrhea and vomiting
- infections of the eyes, ears, nose, throat, lungs, or skin
- injuries from rocks, broken glass, driftwood, or other sharp objects
Warning signs are placed at public beaches when water test results show high levels of bacteria. The provincial safety standard, set by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, is 200 E. coli bacteria per 100 ml of water.
*Swimming is not recommended when bacteria levels are higher than this standard.
Unmonitored Beach Notice
Unsafe Bathing Warning
- Lambton: Lake Huron, including Grand Bend, Ipperwash and Pinery Provincial Park
- Huron - Perth: Lake Huron, north of Grand Bend to just north of Goderich, and St. Mary’s Quarry
- Grey Bruce: Lake Huron, north of Kincardine to Tobermory, and Georgian Bay
- Oxford - Elgin: Lake Erie, including Port Glasgow, Port Stanley, Port Bruce, Port Burwell, and Springwater Conservation Area
- Chatham-Kent: Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair
- Windsor-Essex: Lake Erie, including Point Peele, and Lake St. Clair
Ontario. Ministry of the Attorney General. (1990). Health Protection and Promotion Act, R.R.O. 1990, Regulation 565 Public Pools. Retrieved from
http://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/900565
Ontario. Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. (2019, February). Recreational water protocol, 2019. Retrieved from
https://files.ontario.ca/moh-recreational-water-protocol-en-2019.pdf
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025, June 6). Preventing Swimming-related Illnneses. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-swimming/prevention/