Guidelines for understanding and managing risks in recreational waters: Survey checklist
On this page
- Identification
- Background information
- Microbiological hazards
- Chemical hazards
- Other biological hazards
- Physical hazards and aesthetic considerations
- Facilities and safety provisions
Please note the PDF version of the guidelines with alternate formatting for the checklist (page 52 of the PDF version) is under the Overview tab.
Identification
- Beach name:
- Address:
- Responsible authority:
- Tel.:
- Fax:
- Email:
- Person(s) conducting survey:
- Date:
- Time:
Background information
- Water body type:
- Dimensions of beach
- length(m):
- width(m):
- Dimensions of swimming area
- length(m):
- width(m):
- Number of sampling sites:
[Attach map or aerial photo of suitable scale (including location of sample sites)]
- Water temperature
- High/Low (°C):
- Average (°C):
- Prevailing winds
- Direction:
- Avg. speed (km/h):
- Prevailing currents
- Direction:
- Avg. speed (km/h):
- Seasonal rainfall
- Total (mm):
- 24-h High (mm):
- Wave height
- Average (m):
- Range (m):
Surrounding land uses (check all that apply)
- Urban
- Rural
- Agriculture (specify)
- Residential
- Forest
- Commercial (specify)
- Field
- Hills/Uplands
- Industrial (specify)
- Marsh/Swamp
- River/Stream/Ditch
- Harbour
- Other (specify)
Microbiological hazards
Potential sources of fecal contamination
- Municipal sewage discharges
- Combined sewer overflows (CSOs)
- Stormwater drains/discharges
- Septic waste systems
- Wastes from animal feeding operations
- Other discharges containing fecal wastes (list)
- Other sewage collection/disposal/ treatment systems (list)
Stormwater runoff from
- Agricultural areas
- Beach and surrounding facilities (for example, parking)
- Areas receiving sewage sludge
- Other
Other environmental sources
(#'s: None Low Med High [choose one for each])
- Discharging rivers/streams/creeks
- Birds (for example, gulls, ducks, geese, other)
- Other wild animals
- Pets
- Swimmers
- Other
Items for consideration during the risk assessment
- Proximity of potential contamination sources to the swimming area
- Potential for contamination sources to have an impact on the swimming area (including an indication of their risk priority: Low, Medium, High)
- Evaluation of water quality according to historical microbiological data (for example, frequency of exceedances of the guideline values for the recommended indicators of fecal contamination [for example, continuous/periodic/sporadic])
- Discharges: Assessment of such factors as volume, flow rate, treatment type, applicable indicator standards, periodicity (continuous, sporadic) and predictability
- Effects of rainfall: Levels triggering contamination events and typical event duration
- Assessment of swimming area circulation: Effect of onshore winds, tides, currents, flow patterns in transporting fecal contamination to and entrapping it within the swimming area
- Animals and birds: Assessment of their types, numbers and droppings
- Impact of swimmers on water quality - numbers, ages
- Assessment of potential barriers: Barrier types and points at which they may be applied to reduce impact of the contamination source and/or swimmer exposure (for example, riparian zones, barriers to limit livestock access to water)
Chemical hazards
Potential sources of chemical contamination
- Commercial/industrial discharges
- Marinas
- Motorized watercraft
- Other
Stormwater runoff from the following
- Areas subject to pesticide application
- Areas subject to fertilizer application
- Urban areas
- Other
Items for consideration during the risk assessment
- Proximity of potential contamination sources to the bathing area
- Potential for contamination sources to have an impact on the swimming area (including an indication of their risk priority: Low, Medium, High)
- Discharges: Assessment of such factors as volume, flow rate, treatment type, periodicity (continuous, sporadic) and predictability
- Effects of rainfall: Levels triggering contamination events and typical event duration
- Assessment of swimming area circulation: Effect of onshore winds, tides, currents, flow patterns in potentially transporting chemical contamination to and entrapping it within the swimming area
- Motorized watercraft: Assessment of their types and numbers
- Assessment of potential barriers: Barrier types and points at which they may be applied to reduce impact of the contamination source and/or swimmer exposure
Other biological hazards
Other biological hazards known to affect the recreational water area
(Presence may be continuous, seasonal or sporadic.)
- Cyanobacterial blooms
- Schistosomes (swimmer's itch)
- Large numbers of aquatic plants
- Other (specify)
Items for consideration during the risk assessment
- Seasonal nature of the hazard: continuous, annual, sporadic
- Presence of contributing factors (as applicable): water conditions, local geography, temperatures, nutrient levels, presence of appropriate host species
- Assessment of potential barriers to control hazard and/or reduce human exposure in areas/during times of increased risk
Physical hazards and aesthetic considerations
Subsurface hazards
- Steep slopes or drop-offs
- Depths greater than 4.5 m
- Large rocks
- Slippery or uneven bottom
- Other
Water conditions
- Strong currents or riptides
- Undertows
Other
(None Low Med High [choose one for each])
- Litter on beach
- Floating debris
- Broken glass or other sharp objects
- Medical wastes
- Seaweed/algae on beach
Vehicles permitted on beach or near bathing area
- Automobiles : Y/N
- Boats/watercraft : Y/N
- Specify:
Items for consideration during the risk assessment
- Assessment of the physical characteristics of the beach and their potential impacts on safe enjoyable use of the area; includes evaluation of physical layout (geography, topography), composition of shoreline and bottom material, influence of existing structures
- Assessment of potential risks posed by specific hazards/factors in causing injury or illness or otherwise interfering with the enjoyable use of the area.
- Shoreline and water free from obstructions and of sufficient clarity to permit viewing of persons who may be in distress
- Assessment of the nature and origin of litter and floating debris
- Applicable physical and aesthetic parameters (pH, temperature, turbidity, colour, clarity, litter) in agreement with recommendations given in the Guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality
- Assessment of potential barriers to control hazard and/or reduce human exposure in areas/during times of increased risk
Facilities and safety provisions
Facilities
- Number of toilets:
- Number of showers:
- Number of drinking water fountains:
- Number of litter bins:
- Number of other:
- Access for persons with disabilities (Y/N):
Safety provisions
- Number of lifeguard stations:
- Number of emergency contact information:
- Number of emergency telephone:
- Number of first aid stations:
Signs/communication materials
- Beach posting/suitability for swimming
- Emergency contact information
- Life guard on-duty hours
- Other hazards (list)
Formal procedures or reporting mechanisms in place to deal with the following
- Municipal or industrial spills/discharges/treatment bypasses
- Waterborne disease outbreaks
- Swimmer injuries
Items for consideration during the risk assessment
- Assessment of the adequacy of facilities and safety provisions
- Evaluation of signs and other materials for public communication: Message clear and concise, signs placed in locations highly visible to the public