July 02, 2004
The
new Clean Beaches Program will give beach users tips to help to keep
recreational waters clean and reduce health risks, Water Stewardship Minister
Steve Ashton announced today.
“A
few simple steps will help ensure that a trip to one of Manitoba’s many great
beaches continues to be enjoyable and will help keep beaches cleaner,” said
Ashton. “Through this program, the
province is working with municipalities, local communities and individuals so
that everyone can play a role in maintaining the quality of our beautiful lakes
and beaches.”
To minimize exposure to E. coli, the Clean Beaches Program encourages personal
protection practices such as:
·
washing your
hands before handling food;
·
staying away from
the water if you are experiencing digestive or intestinal problems; and
·
avoiding
swallowing lake water when playing or swimming.
The program also provides tips on how to protect beaches
by:
·
not feeding shore
birds; and
·
not littering or
discarding food on the beach or burying waste in the sand.
Pets are not allowed on provincial park beaches. On other beaches Manitobans are reminded to
clean up after their pets.
“As
part of the program, the majority of the province’s beaches will be monitored
regularly and the results will be posted on the government’s website,” said the
minister.
Temporary
high levels of E. coli bacteria
were recorded at two Lake Winnipeg beaches last summer. E.
coli is naturally present in the environment and has been found in the
wet sand of Lake Winnipeg beaches. Research
has shown that less than 10 per cent of the E. coli in Lake Winnipeg comes from
human sources with the majority from birds and animals. The most common illnesses encountered by bathers
are eye, nose and throat infections and stomach upsets.
The province has introduced a number of initiatives to
protect and improve water quality including:
·
a dedicated website
on the health of Lake Winnipeg showing incidents affecting water quality;
·
the Lake Winnipeg
Stewardship Board (LWSB) which will examine immediate steps which can be taken
to protect Lake Winnipeg;
·
support for the
work of the LWSB;
·
funding for the
Lake Winnipeg Research Consortium to conduct focused research on priority water
quality issues;
·
solution-oriented
targeted testing and scientific research building on last summer’s water
quality testing at Lake Winnipeg beaches; and
·
a new initiative
providing information to communities and lake-side residents on what
individuals can do to help protect the lake.
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ONGOING
INITIATIVES TO PROTECT LAKE WINNIPEG
AND
MANITOBA’S WATER SUPPLY
·
Introduction of
Canada’s first Water Protection Act and a provincewide Water Strategy
·
Passage of one of
the strongest drinking water acts in North America
·
Establishment of
the Office of Drinking Water and the hiring of 12 drinking water officers
·
A $50 million
investment in infrastructure for drinking water and sewer systems for Winnipeg
·
Environmental
licensing procedures for Winnipeg’s waste water treatment facilities
·
Introduction of
the on-site waste water management systems regulations, in place for the
construction and cottage season
·
New livestock
manure regulations and the hiring of 16 livestock inspectors
·
Studies on the
health of the Assiniboine River as well as nutrient management studies for
waterways in southern Manitoba and the south basin of Lake Winnipeg
·
Cross-border
discussions with Manitoba’s upstream neighbours including Minnesota and North
Dakota
·
An increase from
nine to 16 conservation districts and discussions with another 20 municipalities
interested in joining the conservation districts program
·
A Soil Testing
Awareness program
·
An Ecologically
Sensitive Areas Tax Credit
·
Monitoring of
boats once again by student inspectors at key locations such as the border
crossing at Emerson to protect Manitoba’s water systems from zebra mussels and
other foreign biota
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