Third Beach and Second Beach in downtown Vancouver are safe for swimming once again after Vancouver Coastal Health re-tested the water on Tuesday.
Four Metro Vancouver beaches were considered unsafe for swimming on Monday due to high E. coli levels.
By Tuesday, E. coli levels decreased at the two Stanley Park beaches, but Sunset Beach in the West End and Ambleside Beach in West Vancouver are still under advisories not to swim because of E. coli concentrations.
Vancouver Coastal Health
E. coli levels also remain high in False Creek, with more than 24,000 MPN of E. coli per 100 millilitres — far greater than VCH’s safe-to-swim maximum of 400.
The high E. coli counts in False Creek and at the beaches come after a sewage leak in Olympic Village last week caused traffic jams and an unpleasant smell.
The City of Vancouver, however, told Daily Hive there were no pollution concerns due to the infrastructure problem.
“With respect to E. coli levels in False Creek, microbial pollution can originate from multiple potential sources, including illegal discharges from boats, combined sewer overflows which occur during heavy rain, illegal cross connections, storm system flows as well as the presence of dogs and geese,” a City spokesperson told Daily Hive.
Vancouver Coastal Health posts data from its latest water samples at beaches around Metro Vancouver on its website — a useful resource during the summer swimming season.