Swim Guide launches third version of water quality app

(FREDERICTON) — Getting ready for beach time in New Brunswick? Before you go, download the brand-new version of the Swim Guide app.

With over a million users worldwide, the popular (and free!) application gives beachgoers access to the latest water quality monitoring results for their favourite beaches, along with descriptions, photos, and directions.

New in 2017

The 2017 update means Swim Guide is now available in French, English and Spanish. It includes information for over 7,000 beaches in Canada, the United States, Mexico and New Zealand, and has individual entries for over two dozen New Brunswick beaches.

What’s in it and Why is it Helpful?

Swim Guide lets people browse the map or search for a beach by name.  Each beach has a description that list amenities, informs you about lifeguards, provides tips about where to park and other valuable information.

If you don’t know your way to the beach, don’t worry, the app also provides directions whether you’re walking, cycling, driving, or taking transit.

Using Swim Guide

Every beach in Swim Guide is marked with an icon that easily lets you know if the water quality is safe for swimming.

  • Green means the beach’s most recent test results met relevant water quality standards.
  • Red means the beach’s most recent test results failed to meet water quality standards.
  • Grey means water quality information for the beach is too old (more than 7 days old) to be considered current, or that info is unavailable, or unreliable.

The water quality data for NB destinations comes from the Department of Environment and Local Government’s website, and is uploaded to Swim Guide by the Conservation Council. Each beach has a “Source” section which details how the data was obtained.

Quotes

“Since launching Swim Guide in 2011 our goal has been to make water quality information simple to access and easy to understand, for as many people as possible. In addition to improving the search, design, and data presentation with this latest version of the iOS app, we are incredibly proud to be able to provide this service in multiple languages so that even more beach lovers can easily find all of the information they need to have a great day on the water.” – Mark Mattson, President, Swim Drink Fish Canada

“The new Swim Guide is timely and evidence-based. We hope NB citizens and visitors love it as much as we do. Its clear information about when and where our beaches are monitored will also help us identify sources of water pollution so that together we can act to protect healthy waters and sustainable communities.” Lois Corbett, Executive Director, Conservation Council of New Brunswick

About Swim Guide

Swim Guide was developed by Swim Drink Fish Canada (previously a project of Lake Ontario Waterkeeper), a non-profit organization based in Toronto, with the goal to ensure that 100 per cent of Canadians have access to basic data about the health of their watersheds. The group just released the first-ever Canada Beach Report, which was created in collaboration with Waterkeepers, Riverkeepers and Baykeepers across Canada, including the Conservation Council.

For more information, see these resources:

Want to check it out for yourself? Download the iOS version for your Apple product or the Android app for your smartphone.

To arrange an interview, contact: Corey Robichaud, Communications Officer, corey.robichaud@conservationcouncil.ca, 506-458-8747.

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