HRM announces more Halifax-area beach closures due to high bacteria levels

Another day, another beach closure announcement from the Halifax Regional Municipality.

This time, Dingle Beach at Point Pleasant Park and Kinap Beach in Porter’s Lake were forced to be shut down on Thursday due to high levels of bacteria.

READ MORE: Lake Micmac at Shubie Park closed to swimming due to algae bloom in water

“Municipal staff regularly test the water quality at all supervised and four unsupervised municipal beaches during the summer months,” city spokesperson Nick Ritcey stated in a news release.

“Recent test results indicate bacteria levels at this beach exceed Health Canada swimming guidelines.”

Kinap is a supervised beach, while Dingle Beach is unsupervised.

WATCH: West Vancouver beaches latest to be closed due to high E.coli count

Lake Banook and Lake Micmac algae bloom risk

The city also advised the public on Thursday that an algae bloom risk advisory remains in effect for Lake Banook and Lake Micmac.

“Residents are encouraged to avoid swimming or allowing pets in these lakes until further notice,” Ritcey wrote in the release.

Extra precautions are also recommended for Sullivan’s Pond due to the flow of the water stream.

The off-leash dog area of Shubie Park at Lake Micmac and Birch Cove Beach at Lake Banook will also remain closed to swimming until further notice.

The city says some types of algae produce toxins during blooms, and when these blooms decay, the toxins may be released into the water, posing a risk to people and pets.

READ MORE: Queensland Beach closed due to high bacteria counts

Several other lakes and beaches in the HRM have been forced to close this year, including:

• Queensland Beach
• Shubie Beach
• Kinsman Beach
• Kinap Beach
• Long Pond Beach
• Springfield Beach
• Birch Cove Beach
• Government Wharf Beach
• Albro Lake Beach