Those hoping to cool down at Bluffers Park today might want to consider heading to a different beach. Toronto Public Health has issued a warning after higher-than-usual E. coli levels were discovered at Bluffers Park Beach on Wednesday. According to the City of Toronto, E. coli measurements reached 216 per 100 millimetres after testing on Wednesday. The levels are more than double the city’s recommended beach water quality standard of 100 E. coli per 100 millimetres of water. According to the city, high E. coli counts can result from multiple factors, including rain, wind, waterfowl, wet sand and shallow water. “Beach water quality can change rapidly from day to day or even hourly depending on the weather and other factors, including nearby pollution sources such as rivers and streams, which is why Toronto’s designated beaches are sampled daily and tested for bacterial levels,” Toronto Public Health said in a statement.
