Popular Vancouver beach closed for swimming with over double the E. coli limit
Vancouver is in for another week of sunshine and warm temperatures, but those looking to beat the heat by taking a dip in the ocean will want to avoid a popular local beach.
The regional health authority is warning swimmers not to go in the water at Sunset Beach because of high E. coli levels.
According to the Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) Summer Beach Water Quality Website, the West End beach has 808 E. coli per 100 millilitres of water, more than double the recommended limit.
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“When water quality results indicate that the designated swimming area is not microbiologically suitable for swimming, this status will be posted on this website,” explained VCH.
“Informative Beach Signs indicating the area is not suitable for swimming will be posted at the location. Contact with the beach sand area is usually permissible, and access to the facilities is generally not restricted.
“A ‘Not Suitable for Swimming’ advisory will remain in place until follow-up sampling confirms that the water quality is within guideline values. Re-sampling may occur at an increased frequency.”
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The health authority says high levels of E. coli in the water increase the risk of swimmers developing gastrointestinal illnesses or getting skin and eye irritation.
Several other Vancouver beaches are under investigation due to having higher-than-expected sample results, though swimming is not restricted at those locations at this time.
They include English Bay, Locarno Beach, Third Beach and Trout Lake.
Vancouver Coastal Health
According to British Columbia’s Recreational Water Quality Guidelines, a beach is considered safe for swimming if E. coli levels remain below 400 CFU per 100 mL in a single sample, and the 30-day average stays under 200.
VCH monitors beach water quality weekly from May through September, sampling for E. coli, a type of bacteria found in feces from people, pets, birds, and other animals.
When levels are high, it usually indicates recent contamination and increases the chance of people getting sick.
Spikes like this can happen for a number of reasons.
According to VCH, possible sources of E. coli contamination include heavy rainfall and stormwater runoff, sewage system overflows, leaking septic tanks, and even boat discharge.