Amid weekend heat, some beaches not recommended as a way to cool down

Environment Canada forecasts sunny and warm weather this Labour Day long weekend. While the temperatures may be hot, finding a way to cool off may be a little more difficult.

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) released the findings of the latest E. coli testing at our local beaches. Six beaches are considered unsafe for swimming:

• Belle River Beach - 992 E. coli count.

• Cedar Beach - 222 E. coli count.

• Colchester Beach - 649 E. coli count.

• Mettawa Beach - 592 E. coli count.

• Sandpoint Beach - 216 E. colicount.

• Seacliff Beach - 639 E.coli count.

Three beaches are open, with E. coli levels under the provincial bacteria standard of 200 E. coli per 100 millilitres of water:

• Cedar Island Beach -170 E. coli count.

• Holiday Beach - 187 E. coli count.

• Point Pelee North West - 150 E. coli count.

The findings are based on water testing completed on Monday.

WECHU has tips on its website for knowing when it's safe to swim.

It said to not swim if you can not see your feet while standing in waist deep water, or when the water is rough, cloudy or green. It said to not swim for at least 48 hours after a heavy rainfall or wind, as well as to look for drainage pipes at the beach and to avoid swimming near them.

No beaches were found to have blue-green algae.