Guidelines for understanding and managing risks in recreational waters: Survey checklist

On this page

• Identification
• Background information
• Microbiological hazards
• Chemical hazards
• Other biological hazards
• Physical hazards and aesthetic considerations
• Facilities and safety provisions

Please note the PDF version of the guidelines with alternate formatting for the checklist (page 52 of the PDF version) is under the Overview tab.

Identification

• Beach name:
• Address:
• Responsible authority:
• Tel.:
• Fax:
• Email:
• Person(s) conducting survey:
• Date:
• Time:

Background information

• Water body type:
• Dimensions of beach
  • length(m):
  • width(m):
• Dimensions of swimming area
  • length(m):
  • width(m):
• Number of sampling sites:

[Attach map or aerial photo of suitable scale (including location of sample sites)]

• Water temperature
  • High/Low (°C):
  • Average (°C):
• Prevailing winds
  • Direction:
  • Avg. speed (km/h):
• Prevailing currents
  • Direction:
  • Avg. speed (km/h):
• Seasonal rainfall
  • Total (mm):
  • 24-h High (mm):
• Wave height
  • Average (m):
  • Range (m):

Surrounding land uses (check all that apply)

• Urban
• Rural
• Agriculture (specify)
• Residential
• Forest
• Commercial (specify)
• Field
• Hills/Uplands
• Industrial (specify)
• Marsh/Swamp
• River/Stream/Ditch
• Harbour
• Other (specify)

Microbiological hazards

Potential sources of fecal contamination

• Municipal sewage discharges
• Combined sewer overflows (CSOs)
• Stormwater drains/discharges
• Septic waste systems
• Wastes from animal feeding operations
• Other discharges containing fecal wastes (list)
• Other sewage collection/disposal/ treatment systems (list)

Stormwater runoff from

• Agricultural areas
• Beach and surrounding facilities (for example, parking)
• Areas receiving sewage sludge
• Other

Other environmental sources

(#'s: None Low Med High [choose one for each])

• Discharging rivers/streams/creeks
• Birds (for example, gulls, ducks, geese, other)
• Other wild animals
• Pets
• Swimmers
• Other

Items for consideration during the risk assessment

• Proximity of potential contamination sources to the swimming area
• Potential for contamination sources to have an impact on the swimming area (including an indication of their risk priority: Low, Medium, High)
• Evaluation of water quality according to historical microbiological data (for example, frequency of exceedances of the guideline values for the recommended indicators of fecal contamination [for example, continuous/periodic/sporadic])
• Discharges: Assessment of such factors as volume, flow rate, treatment type, applicable indicator standards, periodicity (continuous, sporadic) and predictability
• Effects of rainfall: Levels triggering contamination events and typical event duration
• Assessment of swimming area circulation: Effect of onshore winds, tides, currents, flow patterns in transporting fecal contamination to and entrapping it within the swimming area
• Animals and birds: Assessment of their types, numbers and droppings
• Impact of swimmers on water quality - numbers, ages
• Assessment of potential barriers: Barrier types and points at which they may be applied to reduce impact of the contamination source and/or swimmer exposure (for example, riparian zones, barriers to limit livestock access to water)

Chemical hazards

Potential sources of chemical contamination

• Commercial/industrial discharges
• Marinas
• Motorized watercraft
• Other

Stormwater runoff from the following

• Areas subject to pesticide application
• Areas subject to fertilizer application
• Urban areas
• Other

Items for consideration during the risk assessment

• Proximity of potential contamination sources to the bathing area
• Potential for contamination sources to have an impact on the swimming area (including an indication of their risk priority: Low, Medium, High)
• Discharges: Assessment of such factors as volume, flow rate, treatment type, periodicity (continuous, sporadic) and predictability
• Effects of rainfall: Levels triggering contamination events and typical event duration
• Assessment of swimming area circulation: Effect of onshore winds, tides, currents, flow patterns in potentially transporting chemical contamination to and entrapping it within the swimming area
• Motorized watercraft: Assessment of their types and numbers
• Assessment of potential barriers: Barrier types and points at which they may be applied to reduce impact of the contamination source and/or swimmer exposure

Other biological hazards

Other biological hazards known to affect the recreational water area

(Presence may be continuous, seasonal or sporadic.)

• Cyanobacterial blooms
• Schistosomes (swimmer's itch)
• Large numbers of aquatic plants
• Other (specify)

Items for consideration during the risk assessment

• Seasonal nature of the hazard: continuous, annual, sporadic
• Presence of contributing factors (as applicable): water conditions, local geography, temperatures, nutrient levels, presence of appropriate host species
• Assessment of potential barriers to control hazard and/or reduce human exposure in areas/during times of increased risk

Physical hazards and aesthetic considerations

Subsurface hazards

• Steep slopes or drop-offs
• Depths greater than 4.5 m
• Large rocks
• Slippery or uneven bottom
• Other

Water conditions

• Strong currents or riptides
• Undertows

Other

(None Low Med High [choose one for each])

• Litter on beach
• Floating debris
• Broken glass or other sharp objects
• Medical wastes
• Seaweed/algae on beach

Vehicles permitted on beach or near bathing area

• Automobiles : Y/N
• Boats/watercraft : Y/N
• Specify:

Items for consideration during the risk assessment

• Assessment of the physical characteristics of the beach and their potential impacts on safe enjoyable use of the area; includes evaluation of physical layout (geography, topography), composition of shoreline and bottom material, influence of existing structures
• Assessment of potential risks posed by specific hazards/factors in causing injury or illness or otherwise interfering with the enjoyable use of the area.
• Shoreline and water free from obstructions and of sufficient clarity to permit viewing of persons who may be in distress
• Assessment of the nature and origin of litter and floating debris
• Applicable physical and aesthetic parameters (pH, temperature, turbidity, colour, clarity, litter) in agreement with recommendations given in the Guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality
• Assessment of potential barriers to control hazard and/or reduce human exposure in areas/during times of increased risk

Facilities and safety provisions

Facilities

• Number of toilets:
• Number of showers:
• Number of drinking water fountains:
• Number of litter bins:
• Number of other:
• Access for persons with disabilities (Y/N):

Safety provisions

• Number of lifeguard stations:
• Number of emergency contact information:
• Number of emergency telephone:
• Number of first aid stations:

Signs/communication materials

• Beach posting/suitability for swimming
• Emergency contact information
• Life guard on-duty hours
• Other hazards (list)

Formal procedures or reporting mechanisms in place to deal with the following

• Municipal or industrial spills/discharges/treatment bypasses
• Waterborne disease outbreaks
• Swimmer injuries

Items for consideration during the risk assessment

• Assessment of the adequacy of facilities and safety provisions
• Evaluation of signs and other materials for public communication: Message clear and concise, signs placed in locations highly visible to the public