In the spring of 2020, the Vaseux Lake Stewardship Association applied for a $6000.00 grant from the Okanagan Basin Water Board to conduct water quality analysis on Vaseux Lake over a two-year period.
Our proposal was to sample monthly throughout the two-year period and to send samples to CARO (a professional lab) in Kelowna for a complete water analysis quarterly.
The grant was approved, testing equipment was purchased and the monitoring has begun. We now have test results available starting in June 2020.
We are particularly interested in monitoring nitrate and phosphate levels since they are nutrients that contribute to excessive plant growth. In addition, we monitor temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen.
Due to the heavy usage of the Vaseux Lake campground and the other populated shorelines during the summer, we are also testing for coliform bacteria during that period.
Coliforms are a group of bacteria that are almost everywhere, eg. soil, vegetation, sewage, manure, etc.
E. coli are bacteria that are commonly present in the intestinal tracts of warm-blooded animals and humans. Since E. coli is an indicator of fecal contamination of the recreational water, it is potentially disease-causing. It has been shown that there is a risk of contracting illness to swimmers when there is a high concentration of E. coli present within recreational waters.
The guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality are in the summary table below.
Typically, when test results exceed 400 E. coli/ 100 ml in a single sample or 200 E. coli/ 100 ml in an average of a minimum of five samples, beaches in B.C. are posted with an advisory.
24 months Vaseux Lake Water Testing (2024 – 2025)
2024 – May testing
2024-05-23 11:00 A.M. Vaseux Lake North Near Treatment Plant
- PH 8.3 Temp 19.2 Celsius
- Nitrate – < 1 mg/L
- Phosphate – .12 mg/L
- Total Coliform – 1290 MPN/100mL
- E.Coli – 44 MPN/100mL
2024 – June Testing
2024-06-19 12:45 P.M. South Vaseux Lake Public Access #1
- PH 8.8 Temp 21.3 Celsius
- Nitrate – <1 mg/
- L Phosphate – .02 mg/L
- Total Coliform – 2420 MPN/100mL
- E.Coli – <1 MPN/100mL
2024-06-19 12:48 P.M. East Vaseux Lake Prov Park
- PH 9.0 Temp 22.5 Celsius
- Nitrate – <1 mg/L
- Phosphate – .02 mg/L
- Total Coliform – 1050 MPN/100mL
- E.Coli – 112 MPN/100mL
2024-06-19 12:50 P.M. Vaseux Lake North Near Treatment Plant
- PH 8.7 Temp 20.8 Celsius
- Nitrate – <1 mg/L
- Phosphate – .18 mg/L
- Total Coliform – 2130 MPN/100mL
- E.Coli – 40 MPN/100mL
2024 – July Testing
2024-07-16 10:15 A.M. South Vaseux Lake Public Access #1
- PH 8.7 Temp 25.8 Celsius
- Nitrate – .02 mg/L
- Phosphate – .04mg/L
- Total Coliform – 13, 800 MPN/100mL
- E.Coli – 6 MPN/100mL
2024-07-16 10:20 A.M. East Vaseux Lake 3136 Vaseux Lake Cres
- PH 8.4 Temp 24.4 Celsius
- Nitrate – .01 mg/L
- Phosphate – .005mg/L
- Total Coliform – 2420 MPN/100mL
- E.Coli – 14 MPN/100mL
2024-07-16 10:30 A.M. Vaseux Lake Prov Park
- PH 8.6 Temp 24.2 Celsius
- Nitrate – .01 mg/L
- Phosphate – .03mg/L
- Total Coliform – 2420 MPN/100mL
- E.Coli- 19 MPN/100mL
2024 – August Testing
2024-08-08 09:10 A.M. Vaseux Lake South Side Public Access #1
- PH Temp unable to get results, sensor malfunctioned (new instrument had to be purchased)
- Nitrate – .04 mg/L
- Phosphate – .02mg/L
- Total Coliform – 3790 MPN/100mL
- E.Coli – 4 MPN/100mL
2024-08-08 09:15 A.M. East Vaseux Lake 3168 Vaseux Lake Cres
- PH Temp unable to get results, sensor malfunctioned (new instrument had to be purchased)
- Nitrate – .04 mg/
- L Phosphate – .02mg/L
- Total Coliform – 433 MPN/100mL
- E.Coli – 1 MPN/100mL
2024-08-08 09:25 A.M. Vaseux Lake Prov Park
- PH Temp unable to get results, sensor malfunctioned (new instrument had to be purchased)
- Nitrate – .01 mg/L
- Phosphate – .03mg/L
- Total Coliform – 13800 MPN/100mL
- E.Coli – 34 MPN/100mL
2024 – September Testing
2024-09-27 13:05 P.M. Vaseux Lake South Side Public Access #1
- PH 8.7 Temp 20.6 Celsius
- Nitrate – < .01 mg/L
- Phosphate – .02mg/L
- Total Coliform – 522 MPN/100mL
- E.Coli – 12 MPN/100mL
2024-09-27 13:20 P.M East Vaseux Lake 3136 Vaseux Lake Cres
- PH 8.5 Temp 20.4 Celsius
- Nitrate – .01 mg/L
- Phosphate – .12mg/L
- Total Coliform – 463 MPN/100mL
- E.Coli – 3 MPN/100mL
2024-09-27 13:30 P.M. East Vaseux Lake Prov Park
- PH 8.7 Temp 20.9 Celsius
- Nitrate – <1 mg/L
- Phosphate – .06 mg/L
- Total Coliform – 1730 MPN/100mL
- E.Coli – 7 MPN/100mL
2024 – November Testing
2024-11-19 10:30 PM Vaseux Lake North Near Treatment Plant
- PH 8.7 Temp 6.8 Celsius
- Nitrate- <1 mg/L
- Phosphate – .09 mg/L
- Total Coliform – 488 MPN/100mL
- E.Coli – 22 MPN/100mL
2025 – January Testing
2025-01-13 09:20 PM Vaseux Lake North Near Treatment Plant
- PH 8.6 Temp 1.5 Celsius
- Nitrate- <1 mg/L Phosphate – .05 mg/L
- Total Coliform – 293 MPN/100mL
- E.Coli – 3 MPN/100mL
2025 – March Testing
2025-03-04 02:20 PM Vaseux Lake North Near Treatment Plant
- PH 8.4 Temp 1.2 Celsius
- Nitrate- .<1 mg/L
- Phosphate – .12 mg/L
- Total Coliform – 79 MPN/100mL
- E.Coli– <1 MPN/100mL
2025 – June Testing
2025-06-18 08:55 A.M. South Vaseux Lake Public Access #1
- PH 8.8 Temp 22.4 Celsius
- Nitrate – <1 mg/L
- Phosphate – .02 mg/L
- Total Coliform – 1050 MPN/100mL
- E.Coli – <1 MPN/100mL
2025-06-18 12:48 P.M. East Vaseux Lake
- PH 8.9 Temp 22.8 Celsius
- Nitrate – <1 mg/L
- Phosphate – .02 mg/L
- Total Coliform – 1410 MPN/100mL
- E.Coli – 15 MPN/100mL
2025-06-18 12:50 P.M. North Vaseux Lake (Prov Park)
- PH 8.7 Temp 23.1 Celsius
- Nitrate – <1 mg/L
- Phosphate – .18 mg/L
- Total Coliform – 2430 MPN/100mL
- E.Coli – 128 MPN/100mL
2025 – July Testing
2025-07-24 10:25 A.M. South Vaseux Lake Public Access #1
- PH 8.9 Temp 23.8 Celsius
- Nitrate – <1 mg/L
- Phosphate – .02 mg/L
- Total Coliform – 6570 MPN/100mL
- E.Coli – <1 MPN/100mL
2025-07-24 10:38 P.M. East Vaseux Lake
- PH 8.8 Temp 24.7 Celsius
- Nitrate – <1 mg/L
- Phosphate – .02 mg/L
- Total Coliform – 1730 MPN/100mL
- E.Coli – 5 MPN/100mL
2025-07-24 10:53 P.M. North Vaseux Lake (Prov Park)
- PH 8.50 Temp 25.1 Celsius
- Nitrate – <1 mg/L
- Phosphate – .18 mg/L
- Total Coliform – 7170 MPN/100mL
- E.Coli – 36 MPN/100mL
2025 – August Testing
2025-08-28 12:18 P.M. Vaseux Lake South Side Public Access #1
- PH 8.73 Temp 23.6 Celsius
- Nitrate – .04 mg/L
- Phosphate – .02mg/L
- Total Coliform – 2130 MPN/100mL
- E.Coli – 118 MPN/100mL
2025-08-28 12:32 P.M. East Vaseux Lake 3168 Vaseux Lake Cres
- PH 8.73 Temp 23.8
- Nitrate – .04 mg/L
- Phosphate – .02mg/L
- Total Coliform – 692 MPN/100mL
- E.Coli – 2 MPN/100mL
2025-08-28 12:47 P.M. Vaseux Lake Prov Park
- PH 8.47 Temp 24.0 Celsius
- Nitrate – .01 mg/L
- Phosphate – .03mg/L
- Total Coliform – 9590 MPN/100mL
- E.Coli – 93 MPN/100mL
2025 – September Testing
2025-09-12 12:19 P.M. Vaseux Lake South Side Public Access #1
- PH 8.95 Temp 22.9 Celsius
- Nitrate – < .01 mg/L
- Phosphate – .02mg/L
- Total Coliform – 1200 MPN/100mL
- E.Coli – 8 MPN/100mL
2025 – November Testing
2025-11-13 13:47 P.M. Vaseux Lake North Near Treatment Plant
- PH 8.87
- Temp 15.8 Celsius
- Nitrate – < .2 mg/L
- Phosphate – .16mg/L
- Total Coliform – 1870 MPN/100mL
- E.Coli – 10 MPN/100mL
2026 – January Testing
2026-1-19 10:53 A.M. Vaseux Lake North Near Treatment Plant
- PH 8.76
- Temp 10.8 Celsius
- Nitrate – < .1mg/L Phosphate – .15mg/L
- Total Coliform – 145 MPN/100mL
- E. Coli – 12 MPN/100mL