Water Quality at Municipal Beaches

In the summer months, beaches on the river can be closed by the local health department if water quality conditions pose a health risk to swimmers. However, regulations on either side of the river are very different:

Did you know that the City of Gatineau only tests once a week? That’s only twelve times a season! In Ottawa, the water is tested daily to ensure safe swimming conditions.

Swim Guide

Find out about water quality in real time at National Capital Region beaches and all over North America using Swim Guide. Swim Guide is a free app and website that is designed to give users an easy way to access water quality information and find new beaches often just around the corner or across the globe!

Info on Beach Water Quality

• City of Ottawa Beaches
• City of Gatineau Beaches
• Renfrew County District Beaches (e.g., Arnprior, Cobden, Petawawa, Pembroke, etc)
• Eastern Ontario Beaches (e.g., Hawkesbury)
• Leeds, Grenville & Lanark Beaches
• National Capital Commission Beaches
• Timiskaming Beaches
• North Bay and Parry Sound Beaches
• Ontario Parks Beaches
• Magog Beaches (French)
• Quebec’s Provincially tested beaches (French)

Find out about permissible E.coli levels and beach closures