Bathing waters

Drowning

Drowning can happen so fast!

All it takes is for a child to escape the watchful eye of their parents for a few seconds to fetch a ball, for a life jacket to be forgotten in the bottom of a boat, or for one too many drinks to diminish our vigilance and reflexes.

Drowning can be easily avoided with proper vigilance and adequate precautions. For more information, see: 

• Preventing drowning
• Drowning in Québec – Lifesaving Society (In French only) 

Swimmer’s itch 

Swimmer’s itch is a skin irritation caused by small larvae called cercariae, which are present in certain lakes. There is no link between the presence of these larvae and water pollution.  

To learn more about swimmer’s itch, see: 

• Health problems associated with bathing waters
• Preventing health problems associated with bathing waters

Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria)

Blue-green algae can be found in most natural bodies of water. In small quantities, these bacteria do not pose a health risk. It is only when cyanobacteria multiply in an uncontrolled manner that they produce harmful toxins.

To learn more about blue-green algae, see:

• Preventing health problems associated with blue-green algae blooms

Bathing waters (beaches, lakes and rivers)

When cooling off in bathing waters, precautions should be taken to avoid exposure to potential water contaminants that could lead to health problems.

To learn more about these precautions, see the following pages: 

• Our lakes in the Outaouais (In French only)
• Health problems associated with bathing waters
• Preventing health problems associated with bathing waters

To find out about the water quality of beaches in the Outaouais, see the following pages:

• Public beaches (In French only)
• Beaches – City of Gatineau (In French only)