PORT COLBORNE — Water, water everywhere, but swim at your own risk.

The water at more than half of Niagara’s beaches has been deemed unsafe for swimming by Niagara Region public health.

By Friday afternoon, there were 16 beaches within the region, including 10 in south Niagara, that had levels of E. coli bacteria high enough to warrant the warning.

Though 14 of the 16 postings were made on the region’s website, www.niagararegion.ca/living/water/beaches, early on in the day, there seemed to be some complications with the message reaching beachgoers.

Friends Shelly Murre and Jill Caruso brought their children to Nickel Beach on Friday, but made sure to check the status of the water on Murre’s phone before arriving.

Public health recently put a new mobile application in place, allowing cell phone users to check beach conditions.

Murre’s phone read the beach was safe for swimming, though results on the region’s website stated otherwise.

The new application is still being monitored, said Bill Hunter, the region’s manager of environmental health, who was unsure of why the incorrect conditions were given.

Luciana Gearing, of Pelham, was also at Nickel Beach with her husband Doug and five of their kids. Gearing said she always calls the region’s beach hotline, which is programmed into her phone, to ensure the water is safe before heading out to the beach.

While the hotline is a viable option to learn about beach conditions, Hunter encouraged people to check the website for the most “up-to-date information.”

By 4 p.m. on Friday afternoon, the hotline only had nine beaches listed, not including Nickel Beach and several others in south Niagara.

“We attempt to keep the phone line updated, but because of resource implications it’s best to use the website,” Hunter said. The hotline is generally updated in the morning, he added.

Signage is posted at Port Colborne beaches as soon as the city receives word the water is deemed unsafe to swim, said chief administrative officer Bob Heil.

At Nickel Beach, which has a gated entrance, drivers are informed when a posting is in effect, he added.

Heil said the city was told Nickel Beach was posted as unsafe at 10 a.m. Friday, and then told again at 2 p.m. that the posting had been removed.

Though daily water testing is performed, the results are not known until at least the next day, Heil said.

“From a health perspective it’s necessary, but it’s certainly not effective, not efficient,” he said of the current beach monitoring process.

“If you’re going to test the water is should be instant turnaround for the results.”

On the weekend, water testing is only done at the beaches with the highest levels of traffic — Nickel Beach, Crystal Beach in Fort Erie and Lakeside Beach in St. Catharines. Postings on site at those beaches will be updated this weekend if any changes occur, Hunter said.

People planning on hitting Niagara’s other posted beaches this weekend will have to decided whether they’re willing to take a risk to have a dip.

Swimming in water with high E. coli levels can put people, particularly young children, at risk of infection, Hunter said. Eye and ear infections can occur simply through contact with the water, but gastric symptoms, such as diarrhea and vomiting, can occur if water is ingested.

While there are many factors that can contribute to a rise in E. coli levels, Hunter attributes this most recent spike to the rainfall Niagara saw this week.

Friday’s 16-beach total was higher than daily totals seen so far this season, Hunter said, adding the “dry spell” Niagara experienced this summer helped to keep bacteria levels down.