Rainbow Haven Beach and Lawrencetown Beach in the Halifax region have been reopened for swimming following a temporary closure due to elevated levels of bacteria over the weekend. Public advisories issued on Friday warned against swimming in the waters of both beaches, citing potential health risks.
Water quality tests conducted at the two beaches revealed bacterial levels exceeding the acceptable threshold set by the Department of Environment and Climate Change. Paul D’Eon, the director of the Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service, reported that samples were collected early Friday morning, detecting heightened levels of enterococci, a type of bacteria commonly found in saltwater that functions similarly to E. coli found in freshwater sources.
On Monday morning, laboratory results confirmed that the water quality at Rainbow Haven Beach and Lawrencetown Beach had returned to safe levels for swimming, as indicated by Nova Scotia Parks.