Failure of pump station causes water warnings and closes Sandy Lake Beach
Posted Jul 24, 2023 09:45:28 AM.
Last Updated Jul 24, 2023 03:18:07 PM.
Sandy Lake Beach in Bedford is closed to swimming until further notice, due to potential dangerous bacteria levels caused by flooding.
The Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) issued the warning after Halifax Water sent out a warning that its wastewater pump station on Farmer’s Dairy Lane in Bedford failed and was overflowing wastewater into Sandy Lake.
According to HRM, municipal staff regularly test the water quality at all supervised municipal beaches, and test results indicated bacteria levels at Sandy Lake Beach exceeded Health Canada swimming guidelines.
They say staff will continue testing the water and will advise when it is safe to swimming.
Meantime, Halifax Water says they are addressing the issue, but until the wastewater pump station is fixed, people and pets should avoid the water in Sandy Lake.
In a release, they say people should reduce flushing as much as possible to reduce the environmental impact.
Halifax Water also saying residents should avoid swimming for 24 to 48 hours in areas where flooding from excessive rainfall could contribute to higher bacteria levels in the water.
These higher levels can come from a number of sources, including runoff and sewage bypass practices that are used in some areas during flooding events.
