Five Vancouver beaches closed to swimmers over E. coli spike

Vancouver Coastal Health has issued "not suitable for swimming" advisories for five local beaches due to high E. coli levels, with some readings more than four times the recommended limit.

The beaches under advisory as of Thursday, June 18 are English Bay, Kits Point, Sunset Beach, Third Beach, and Trout Lake. The health authority warns that swimming in contaminated water increases the risk of gastrointestinal illness and skin and eye irritation.

Several other local spots—Lions Bay, Second Beach, and Locarno Beach—are under investigation due to higher-than-expected sample results, though swimming is not yet restricted at those locations.

According to Metro Vancouver, water samples are tested at least weekly from May through September at a quality control laboratory. E. coli is an indicator of fecal contamination from birds, animals, sewage overflows, or boat waste. VCH says teams are working to identify the source and will lift advisories once follow-up sampling confirms water quality is within guideline values.