Bayfield Beach

Source Information

Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service collects samples at designated beaches from mid-May to Labour Day. All designated beaches are tested for E. coli and some saltwater beaches are tested for Enterococci. When bacteria counts exceed the provincial standard, the beach is considered to be unsafe for swimming and warning signs are posted at the beach. Beaches sampled on 3 schedules based on the risk of bacteria contamination due to location. Level A beaches are tested weekly, Level B beaches are tested 3 times per summer, and level C beaches are tested twice per summer. Swim Guide checks the NSLS website daily from Monday - Friday for water quality news releases. For more information on beach openings and closures, call the Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service Beach Information Line at 902-477-6168 or visit www.nsls.ns.ca. The Nova Scotia Life Saving Society follows the Guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality. A beach is considered to meet guidelines when test results are below 200 E.Coli per 100 ml for freshwater, and 35 Enterococci per 100 ml for marine water. Swim Guide is not able to directly share monitoring data for these beaches on an ongoing basis as test dates are not available. Therefore, the swim icon will display the historical status unless a posted advisory is issued, in which case the beach will be marked red until re-testing results show bacteria levels have met the Canadian standard.