Public warned not to swim at 5 Toronto beaches after rain

Officials are warning people not to swim at several of Toronto’s lakefront beaches after heavy rain overnight.

The City of Toronto said the advice was based on high E. coli counts taken over the past 24 hours, with cloudy water at some beaches suggesting high levels of  bacteria that could be harmful.

“Swimming is not recommended during and after storms, floods, or heavy rainfall. Cloudy water can be an indicator of high levels of bacteria that may pose a risk to human health,” the city’s public health officials said.

Toronto’s water quality tracking website singled out Marie Curtis Park East Beach, Sunnyside Beach, Ward’s Island Beach, Cherry Beach and Kew Balmy Beach as unsafe for swimming.

The water at Woodbine Beach was rated as safe to swim.

The data comes from a predictive modelling system introduced in 2022 to keep tabs on the quality of swimming water around the city.

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