By Sandra Milton
When you dip your toes into the water at Bordeleau Park or at the Ottawa Rowing Club, do you wonder about the water quality? Lowertown has no beaches, but it does have two fabulous rivers – the Rideau and the Ottawa – at its borders and people flock to them in the summer. From mid-June to early September, Lowertown volunteers for Ottawa Riverkeeper have conducted weekly water quality tests in these areas where local residents have launched kayaks, paddleboards, or other watercraft since 2018.
Ottawa Riverkeeper works to protect, promote, and improve our rivers and as one of the volunteers – and one of the individuals out on both rivers – I am very appreciative. This summer, I collaborated with fellow Lowertown resident and Riverkeeper volunteer, Mark Gerlich, to collect water samples from the Rideau River shoreline along Bordeleau and King Edward parks. This section of the Rideau River is not open for swimming but is very popular for other recreational uses. Many individuals launch boats or fish from the dock and children actively seek crayfish along the shore. Although these activities present a lower risk of exposure to contaminated water, contact with the water can and often does occur.
As volunteers, we collect five 100 ml samples twice a week at evenly and consistently spaced distances to track E. coli levels. This coliform bacteria in water often indicates fecal contamination that can make people sick if exposed to elevated concentrations. Our section of the river can be contaminated by birds, dogs, and human activity near the water, especially following a heavy rainfall. In transit to the laboratory for analysis, the samples are kept as cool as possible to mimic the water temperature from which the sample was taken.
Since swimming is not featured at Bordeleau Park and the Ottawa Rowing Club, Ottawa Riverkeeper adheres to the secondary contact water quality guideline for these two sites. A passing grade requires an average of less than 1000 colony-forming units of E. coli per 100 ml of water. This guideline is for recreational areas where the risk of water ingestion is limited but possible. The results are posted on the Swim Guide website (Swim Guide (theswimguide.org) and are shared with local community members.
So, how did these waterways fare this year? Both Bordeleau Park and the Ottawa Rowing Club have earned a Grade A for secondary contact activities. Over the summer months, Bordeleau passed water quality tests at least 95% of the time with the Ottawa Rowing Club receiving a 90% pass score. The water quality data helps Lowertown residents make informed decisions about when and how to enjoy our nearby water. So, when the rivers call, think about what pleasure they give you and what you might do to promote their health going forward.
Ottawa Riverkeeper can be contacted at Ottawa Riverkeeper – Ottawa Riverkeeper | Garde-rivière des Outaouais to obtain more information on the ecological health and future of our waterways.
