Officials in Esquimalt say a leak that shut down an annual swimming event in the Gorge Waterway over the weekend does not appear to have been caused by a broken sewer line.
The leak was discovered on Sunday just hours before the Gorge Swim Fest was scheduled to begin, forcing organizers to cancel it much to the disappointment of swimmers.
Five booms were deployed to help contain the smelly, murky substance and Island Health, the Capital Regional District and Spill BC were all called in to assist.
On Monday, Esquimalt Public Works said there was no evidence that the contamination came from a sewer line because the collection system showed no signs of failures or leaks.
They’re still analyzing samples of contaminated water to determine its nature.
Experts say it looks like the murkiness could be the result of an algae bloom but are also testing the water for fecal coliform counts.
Until they can figure out what’s causing it, Esquimalt is asking the public to avoid swimming in the Gorge and to keep dogs out of the water until further notice.
It’s also reminding residents to avoid dumping any hazardous materials into storm drains, because those materials will end up spilling out into the Gorge and have a negative impact on water quality and marine wildlife.
Ironically, the Gorge Swim Fest is held each summer to celebrate the cleanliness of the waterway, which several decades ago was highly polluted – until clean-up efforts in the 90s helped restore the area.
