Guidelines for understanding and managing risks in recreational waters: Public awareness and communication

On this page

• Introduction
• Posting information at recreational water areas
• Other tools for pubic education and communication

Introduction

To participate in safe, enjoyable recreational water activities, the public needs access to information on the quality of the area and its facilities, as well as notification of any existing water quality hazards. Beach operators, service providers and responsible authorities have a responsibility to inform and educate the public and provide adequate warnings about any hazards relevant to their recreational water areas. The public can also do their part by taking actions to protect themselves and the recreational areas, such as:

• avoid swallowing water, regardless of the water quality
• avoid swimming with open sores or wounds
• stay out of the water if you have diarrhea or other gastrointestinal illnesses
• wash hands before consuming food
• use clean beach towels to reduce the degree of sand contact
• towel dry after being in the water
• shower as soon as practical after swimming
• obey all posted signage (for example, swimming advisories, warnings for specific hazards, restrictions regarding pets, motorized vehicles)
• properly dispose of garbage

The public should also be aware of where the water quality monitoring results are posted and should consult this information before going to the beach.

Efforts to improve the public's awareness and understanding of water quality can have numerous benefits (Bartram and Rees, 2000; Pendleton et al., 2001). Communication tools can be used to:

• reduce the potential risk of swimmer illness or injury
• improve the quality of the water
• correct public misconceptions regarding water quality
• improve public confidence
• increase beach attendance

Posting information at recreational water areas

Information on the expected risks associated with the recreational area should be communicated to the user through the use of posted signs. Other means of communicating information to users is provided in Other tools for public education and communication below. Signs should be posted in locations that are highly visible to the public. The information provided should be easily understood and not open to misinterpretation. Ideally, signs should be standardized to permit comparisons across different locations. Examples of informative beach signs are provided.

Signs and messaging should be used to warn users about the potential risks associated with a recreational area. Even in waters considered to be of good quality for swimming, there is always some risk that swimmers may experience adverse health effects. Warnings should be issued in a timely manner and promptly removed once the issuing authority has determined that the risk no longer exists.

The information provided on warning signs and in messaging should include, at a minimum:

• a statement identifying the health or safety risk
• recommended actions to be taken
• the name of the authority responsible for issuing the warning
• contact information for the issuing authority

Warning signs or messages may be posted to announce a swimming advisory, to announce a beach closure, or to provide cautionary information such as permanent signage at beaches with re-occurring cyanobacterial blooms. A swimming advisory or a beach closure should be issued by the responsible authority in accordance with the legislation in each province or territory. This decision should be based on a thorough assessment of the situation with information provided by recreational water monitoring, the EHSS and public health surveillance.

A swimming advisory can be issued if the responsible authority decides that there is an unacceptable level of risk associated with recreational use. Under this situation, users are advised to refrain from contact with the water. Contact with the beach is usually permissible, and access to the facilities is generally not restricted. Examples of scenarios that may trigger jurisdictions to issue a swimming advisory include:

• exceedance of the guideline values for the recommended fecal indicators, based on sampling or predicted based on modelling
• exceedance of the guideline values for toxic cyanobacteria and their toxins, or in the event of the development of a cyanobacteria bloom
• evidence of the risk of swimmer's itch for recreational water users
• periods of significant rainfall, which could trigger an advisory as a pre-emptive action (at applicable beaches)

A beach closure may be issued (where possible) if the responsible authority determines that a beach or body of water poses a serious risk to the health and safety of recreational water users and that it is necessary to further restrict individuals from coming in contact with the area. Under a closure, the area is considered closed to all recreational activity. Users are advised to avoid contact with the beach and recreational water area, and access to the facilities may be restricted. Examples of situations in which jurisdictions may deem it necessary to issue a beach closure include:

• suspicion that the area is responsible for a waterborne disease outbreak
• a sewage or chemical spill that is expected to affect the recreational water area
• other conditions such that the area is judged to pose a significant risk to public health (for example, persistently poor water quality)

Appropriate signs may also be posted at waters that have been deemed suitable for secondary contact activities (for example, rowing, sailing, canoe touring, fishing), but not for primary contact uses (for example, swimming, wading, windsurfing, waterskiing). In these instances, it may be necessary to expand the location of the signs beyond the beach area to improve their visibility. Suggested locations include relevant points of entry and launch areas. Responsible authorities should also routinely update the signage content, especially for signage in areas with chronic issues (for example, cyanobacteria blooms) to avoid message fatigue among public users.

Other tools for public education and communication

In addition to posted signs, other tools can be used to promote public education and communicate information, including:

• printed materials (for example, posters, information sheets, educational bulletins, pamphlets, brochures)
• media sources such as websites (for example, Swim Guide, local government or beach management authorities), social media platforms, local newspapers, television and radio announcements
• participation in beach certification or award programs (for example, Blue Flag certification)
• educational events such as volunteer monitoring programs, drowning prevention initiatives and beach cleanup days
• classification or grading systems for beaches

Classification or grading systems for beaches can be used as a tool to promote communication and understanding of water quality information. They are also thought to help encourage a sense of shared accountability and responsibility among the beach authorities and beach users. A number of jurisdictions and multinational organizations have adopted grading systems as part of their recreational water management recommendations (WHO, 2021; NHMRC, 2008; MELCC, 2019). Both the WHO and the Australian Guidelines (WHO, 2021; NHMRC, 2008) make use of a grade-based format for fecal indicator density within their framework for assessing fecal pollution in recreational waters. These approaches use a microbiological assessment component along with a sanitary inspection categorization to produce a classification of an area's overall suitability for recreation. Under the Quebec framework for fecal pollution assessment (MDDEP, 2004; MELCC, 2019), water quality grades are assigned to recreational waters based on average yearly fecal indicator monitoring results. This grade is used as a public communication tool and also dictates the sampling frequency requirements for the recreational area.

There are advantages and disadvantages associated with the use of beach grading systems. Responsible authorities should be aware of the limitations of any system when investigating its use as a potential communication tool. For example, grading systems based on fecal indicator monitoring results provide information on only one aspect of recreational water quality. The accuracy of any such grading system would be strongly affected by the limitations known to be associated with fecal indicator monitoring. Ideally, a successful beach grading system would involve criteria from a number of categories, encompassing monitoring results, communication tools and water quality hazard control actions.