City deems three Toronto beaches unsafe due to high bacteria levels in Lake Ontario

Thestar.com
July 17, 2023

The City of Toronto issued an advisory on “unsafe” swimming conditions for three beaches Sunday after bacterial concentration soared beyond the city’s public safety standard.

Water quality at Sunnyside Beach, Centre’s Island Beach and Cherry Beach were temporarily polluted with high E. coli bacteria levels, exposing bathers to an “increased risk of infection,” the city advised.

Health Canada reported that exposure to E. coli bacteria can cause nausea, mild fever and severe stomach cramps, which in most cases is gone within five to 10 days.

The federal health organization added that while most people recover completely on their own, some patients can get seriously ill and in need of hospitalization, while others may develop permanent health effects like kidney failure.

Daily samples from Toronto’s supervised beaches are collected between June to Labour Day to assess the water quality and determine public safety risks.

Notice for unsafe swimming conditions is issued when the concentration of E. coli strains is higher than 100 in every 100 millimetres of beach water. On Thursday, beach water samples showed E. coli concentration as high as 158 per 100 millimetres.

“To prevent illness, the Medical Officer of Health recommends bathers do not enter the water until E. coli levels decrease,” the city of Toronto said.

Heavy rain, strong winds and high waves are generally responsible for swelling bacterial concentration, clouding the water in Lake Ontario’s shoreline. A large number of birds or swimmers in the water are also connected to the rise in E. coli counts.

Bacterial concentrations at Woodbine Beach, Hanlan's Point Beach, Bluffer’s Beach Park and Gibraltar Point Beach were deemed safe for swimming. Marie Curtis Park East Beach, Ward's Island Beach and Kew Balmy Beach (Blue Flag Beach) are also apt for bathers, after e.coli strains count recedeed to the city's safety standard into Sunday.

Water quality conditions at the city's supervised public beaches can be accessed live on the City of Toronto website.