Millennium Natural Swimming Ponds Temporarily Closed
August 20, 2021 Update.
The E. coli measures the City is taking appear to be working and the results show the City is now meeting the guidelines.
To ensure public safety, and out of an abundance of caution, the City plans to delay the re-opening of the ponds until we have two consecutive weeks of test results that meet all guidelines.
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The City of Castlegar’s Millennium Park Natural Swimming Ponds are temporarily closed, effective immediately.
The City regularly tests the water quality and submits the results to Interior Health Authority officials for review, following the Canadian Recreational Water Guidelines. For the first time this year, the results did not meet the guidelines due to above normal levels of E. coli which results from increased geese activity in and around the ponds.
“We hate to close the natural ponds which have been very popular this spring and summer with the warm weather but public safety is our top priority,” says Parks Working Foreman, Crystal Bazar. “Our team is working very hard on this issue with the goal of re-opening the ponds as soon as possible.”
The City expects the closure to remain in place until at least Friday, August 13.
One of the City’s strategic priorities is to create special places and recreation for everyone. As part of creating special places, the City is committed to building on its recreation assets, both built and natural, to provide recreational and cultural services. The City of Castlegar is a service centre in the West Kootenay. The diversified and growing economy is focused on the forestry, energy and mining sectors in the valley, and commercial services in the City. Quality of life features backcountry adventure and an increasingly dynamic urban culture, including the Millennium Park & Ponds and Sculpture Walk.
For more information, please contact:
Bree Seabrook
City of Castlegar
250.304.8133