If you’re looking to beat the heat at a Metro Vancouver beach this week, make sure to check the swimming advisories first. Eight local swimming spots have advisories from Vancouver Coastal Health in place due to high E. coli counts. As of Friday morning, Dundarave Beach in West Vancouver, English Bay, Kitsilano Beach, Second Beach, Sunset Beach, Third Beach and Trout Lake in Vancouver, and Lions Bay are not suitable for swimming. No-swim advisories are issued when a single sample reaches over 400 E. coli per 100 millilitres, or the average of five samples counts over 200 E. coli per 100 millilitres. Signs go up telling visitors not to swim, but the beach itself is safe to enjoy. Several more beaches are undergoing further water testing due to a higher-than-expected bacteria sample result, but remain open for swimming, according to the health authority. They include Jericho Beach, parts of Wreck Beach, Sandy Cove, Sandy Beach, Ambleside Beach and Eagle Harbour. A single reading of more than 235 E. coli per 100 millilitres triggers a “beach action value investigation” to identify what’s causing the higher count, such as a sewage discharge or bird populations nearby, according to VCH. E. coli is found in human, warm-blooded animal, and bird feces. Exposure to high levels of the bacteria can cause gastrointestinal illness and infection of the ears, eyes, nose, throat and skin. Updates on E. coli counts at beaches in the region can be found on VCH’s beach water quality map.
