Sunset Beach closed to swimming after E. coli result exceeds limit

Vancouver Coastal Health has closed Sunset Beach to swimming after water testing found elevated E. coli levels. The West End beach recorded 1,112 E. coli per 100 millilitres in Friday's single-sample result, nearly three times the limit of 400.

The health authority assesses beaches using both a 30-day geometric mean, which must be 200 E. coli per 100 millilitres or lower, and a single “next day” sample limit of 400 per 100 millilitres.

VCH says high E. coli levels can indicate fecal contamination and the possible presence of other harmful microorganisms. Exposure can raise the risk of infections affecting the ears, eyes, nose, throat and skin, and swallowing the water can cause diarrhea.

Sunset Beach and Trout Lake are currently the two Vancouver beaches closed to swimming. VCH conducts weekly beach-water sampling across the region from May through September.