Where do I get lake water quality information?

This post contains information about recreational water quality and drinking water quality.

For the Guidelines to Canadian Drinking Water Quality, summary table, please click here to become familiar with the minimum allowable concentrations of the various contaminants in drinking water.

On Salt Spring Island, you can get information about the water quality (bacterial indicators such as Total Coliform and Total E.Coli) in the following lakes:

Cusheon Lake

CRD RAW LAKE & DRINKING WATER QUALITY TESTING RESULTS – Includes raw lake water testing results (sampled at Beddis Water Service Treatment Plant raw intake) and treated water testing results in various points through the Beddis water system.

ISLAND HEALTH BEACH SAMPLING RESULTS – sampled from the lake water – this test reports any coliform bacteria or E.coli which may be present and will indicate a beach advisory if the levels exceed maximum allowable limits for safe recreation in that lake. This is not for algae, or cyanobacteria or other pollutants, it’s only a test for coliform bacterial contamination of the lake.

Maxwell Lake

Due to the restrictions on any human recreational use in this lake and the lack of lakeshore property owners with licenses to withdraw from Lake Maxwell, the North Salt Spring Water District does take microbiology and chemistry samples but does not publish Lake Maxwell test results publicly. If you wish to find out more about the water quality, including presence of cyanotoxins from cyanobacteria in the lake please contact the North Salt Spring Water District.

St. Mary Lake

CRD RAW LAKE AND DRINKING WATER QUALITY TESTING RESULTS Includes raw lake results (sampled at Highland Water Service Treatment Plant raw intake) and treated water results in various points through the Fernwood-Highland water system.

North Salt Spring Waterworks posts water quality test results here, but they are not always up to date.

ISLAND HEALTH BEACH SAMPLING RESULTS – sampled from the lake water – this test reports any coliform bacteria or E.coli which may be present and will indicate a beach advisory if the levels exceed maximum allowable limits for safe recreation in that lake. This is not for algae, or cyanobacteria or other pollutants, it’s only a test for coliform bacterial contamination of the lake.

Weston Lake

CRD RAW LAKE AND DRINKING WATER QUALITY TESTING RESULTS – Includes raw lake results (sampled at Fulford Water Service Treatment Plant raw intake) and treated water results in various points through the Fulford water system. 

ISLAND HEALTH BEACH SAMPLING RESULTS – sampled from the lake water – this test reports any coliform bacteria or E.coli which may be present and will indicate a beach advisory if the levels exceed maximum allowable limits for safe recreation in that lake. This is not for algae, or cyanobacteria or other pollutants, it’s only a test for coliform bacterial contamination of the lake.

What public information exists about the potential presence of cyanobacterial toxins in Salt Spring Island drinking water lakes?

This Island Health one page document outlines the process for testing and related links to up to date information about cyanobacterial toxins that are monitored in some of the Salt Spring Island lakes.

Drinking Water Systems and Water Quality

Please note that Island Health posts the sampling results for drinking water systems that are regulated by the BC provincial Drinking Water Protection Act and the Drinking Water Protection Regulation: CLICK HERE  (search for Salt Spring Island in the left menu bar). There will be no results posted to this site for a drinking water system that is in compliance with the Act and the Regulation maximum allowable limits for coliform bacteria (E.coli 0/100ml sample, Total Coliform 0/100 ml sample).

EPA Small Drinking Water Systems Webinar Series Home Page

Harmful Algal Blooms – offered by the Environmental Protection Agency Office of Groundwater and Drinking Water (United States)