The natural swimming ponds at Castlegar’s Millennium Park have been temporarily closed as a precaution after routine water testing found potential water quality issues.
According to the city, crews will flush the ponds with fresh water over the next few days to improve conditions. The ponds will remain closed until the city receives favourable sample results, which could be as soon as next week. The smallest of the three ponds wasn’t open this season.
“We apologize for any inconvenience the temporary closure may have on park visitors, but ensuring public safety is always our top priority when it comes to maintaining the natural ponds at Millennium Park,” assistant manager of operations Crystal Bazar said in a news release. “We’re monitoring water quality and look forward to reopening the ponds as soon as it’s confirmed safe for swimming.”
The city says it follows the Canadian recreational water guidelines and regularly tests the natural ponds’ water quality and submits the results to Interior Health Authority for review. Test results are posted here.
Water quality and algae blooms have been an ongoing issue at the ponds. The city has taken steps to keep geese away from the ponds this year, with some success, but the blooms persisted. The city has also increased flow to the ponds to improve turnover and reduce stagnant water and is taking regular water samples to understand nutrient levels in the ponds.
