Swim Drink Fish Kingston Monitoring Hub

The Kingston Monitoring Hub continues Lake Ontario Waterkeeper’s work in Kingston by helping people access the Kingston waterfront with up to date water quality data.

Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Public Health (KFL&A Public Health) monitors 7 beaches in the City of Kingston. The rest of the shoreline is not monitored, but many people use these waters to swim, boat, paddle, surf, and fish.

Kingston Monitoring Hub began collecting water samples and testing for E. coli in 2020. E. coli is an indicator for sewage—the more E. coli present in a sample, the greater the risk to public health and the environment.

Staff along with a group of trained citizen scientists sample the water every Wednesday during the summer months. We sample three main locations: Hospital Beach, Olympic Harbour Beach, and Doug Fluhrer Park. We have added these locations to Swim Guide, and we update them weekly.