No Windsor-Essex beach closures but Colchester Beach unsafe

After weeks of various closures, this week Windsor-Essex beaches are looking good.

Except for Colchester Beach, which is deemed "unsafe for swimming" by the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit -- but remains open.

The health unit samples beaches on Mondays and results are released Wednesday. If the E. coli count reaches 1,000, the beach gets a closure. When they reach between 200 and 999, only a warning is issued.

This warning is the fifth warning Colchester Beach has received this season, in addition to one closure in July.

RajBejankiwar,a water quality specialist with the International Joint Commission, said that swimmers should wait 30 to 48 hours after a storm before they go swimming, and "clear water" is a sign it might be safe.

He said storms can stir up the water which can lead to high bacteria counts.

Bejankiwar said that when tides are high, water contaminated with bacteria seeps into the sand which can also create a risk because E. coli and other bacteria can thrive. That creates a hazard even if you're not planning on swimming in the water.

In the forecast, it's expected to rain in Windsor starting Wednesday overnight. The showers continue throughout Thursday and Friday.