No swimming at several Vancouver beaches due to E.coli

A no swimming advisory is pictured at a Vancouver beach in this file image.

If you’re looking to beat the heat with a dip in the ocean this weekend, be sure to check beach advisories first.

Several of the region’s beaches are currently not suitable for swimming due to high levels of E.coli, according to testing by Vancouver Coastal Health.

No-swimming signs are up at Kits Point, Third Beach, English Bay, Trout Lake and Sunset Beach, as of Friday morning. That means a “geometric mean” of water samples exceeds 200 E.coli/100mL, or a single sample exceeds 400 E.coli/100mL.

Meanwhile, Lions Bay and Locarno Beach are under investigation as they had samples come back higher than expected.

It is important to note that E.coli levels are unknown at a number of beaches during the ongoing labour dispute with Metro Vancouver outside workers. Samples are not being taken at Jericho, Spanish Banks, Iona, and Wreck beaches.

Beaches currently marked safe for swimming include Second Beach, Kitsilano Beach, and all the beaches the health authority monitors along the North Shore, on Bowen Island, the Sunshine Coast and up the Sea to Sky corridor.

Swimming in water with high E.coli levels can lead to illnesses including an upset stomach, ear infection, sore throat and wound infection.