Just as the first hot weather of the year arrives on B.C.’s South Coast, health officials have closed several popular swimming beaches in Metro Vancouver due to high E. coli levels.
Vancouver Coastal Health has issued water quality advisories about the beach at English Bay, along with Locarno Beach, Sandy Beach on Bowen Island, and Trout Lake in John Hendry Park.
Under Canadian recreational water quality guidelines, beach closures are possible when officials find a single sample that exceeds 400 E. coli per 100 ml. of water, or a five-sample average exceeding 200 E.coli per 100 ml.
A single sample at English Bay on Friday delivered a result of 1,785 E. coli per 100 ml, and a result of 1,607 E. coli per 100 ml at Locarno Beach.
Samples from earlier in the week showed averages of 426 E. coli per 100 ml at Sandy Beach and of 231 E. coli per 100 ml at Trout Lake.
E. coli is the same bacteria that can be found on vegetables or in beef. It is of particular concern for vulnerable populations, such as kids and seniors.
A major contributor to E. coli in the water comes from fecal matter, both human and animal.
Officials are advising the public not to swim or wade in the water until the advisory is lifted.