Beach conditions

• Avoid swallowing water
• Avoid swimming with an open cut or wound
• Avoid swimming for 48 hours after a significant rainfall
• Avoid swimming in murky/turbid water
• Stay away from the water if you are experiencing digestive or intestinal problems
• After swimming, wash your hands before handling food

After swimming, rinse off well using soap and clean water, paying special attention to any cuts or scrapes. Dry out your ears.

If you believe you have been exposed to contaminated water, take a shower and wash swimsuits, towels and other clothing that might have been contaminated as soon as possible. If you start to feel sick, seek medical attention. Tell your doctor that you think you were exposed to contaminated water, and contact your local health authority to report your illness.

Beach owners/operators should routinely test beach water quality during the swimming season from May to September. Most beaches are tested on a weekly basis, however, remote beaches are not always able to meet this recommended frequency.

Sampling provides a “snapshot” of the water quality at a specific point in time at a specific location. It helps give a broad indication of the overall water quality at a location, but is not a definitive statement of the entire body of water.

Beach owners/operators are responsible for collecting their own water samples but may make arrangements for others to do so. In the lower mainland, Metro Vancouver performs the sampling for the beach operators. Samples are sent to an approved laboratory for analysis of E. Coli. Fraser Health reviews the results and then posts on this website

E. coli, a bacterium that is commonly present in the intestinal tract of warm-blooded animals and humans.

E. coli is an indicator of fecal contamination of the recreational water, which contains disease-causing bacteria. High counts of E. coli in recreational water may increase the chances of gastrointestinal, upper respiratory illnesses and skin/eye infections.

When the single sample limit of 235 E. coli/100mL (Beach Action Value) is exceeded, a resample protocol is initiated. The beach operator will be requested to collect and test additional sample as soon as possible. The beach will remain open to swimming pending further investigation and confirmation of test results.

Beach water will be monitored for the presence of E. coli using two limits: a geometric mean of ≤ 200 E. coli /100 mL based on the previous five samples and a single sample limit of ≤ 235 E. coli /100 mL. When either of these limits is exceeded, an assessment will be made to determine next steps. In the case of a single sample exceedance, the first step will be to re‐sample. Should results remain high, beach operators may be required to post a “No Swimming" notice at the beach which includes all primary contact recreation activities.

For the most part, the recreational water in British Columbia does not pose a health risk. However, there is always some level of risk when swimming in untreated recreational waters; natural bodies of water are not treated to remove bacteria, not sampled daily and there is delay between the sampling time and the results. Other factors that can impact water quality include animal activity (e.g. geese), rainfall, hot temperatures and frequency of use.

In order to minimize risk while swimming in recreational waters, one should avoid ingestion of water.

The level of E. coli bacteria found in the water is above the recommended guidelines. When the level of bacteria is higher there is an increased risk of illness to swimmers. The public is advised not to swim or wade in the water until the advisory is removed. Seniors, infants and children and people with weakened immunity are the most vulnerable.

Since sampling only provides a “snapshot” of the water quality, doing activities within recreational water before a posted beach closure does not necessarily mean you will get sick. However, if you experience signs of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, ear infection, sore throat or wound infection after swimming in recreational water, we recommend that you seek medical attention.

There is no way to say for sure whether or not you will get sick if you go into water that is under advisory, but you will have a higher chance of getting sick. The risk of getting sick is higher if you swallow water or get water in the nose, eyes, ears or an open wound. Examples of possible illness include stomach upset, ear infection, sore throat or wound infection.

When follow-up testing shows that beach water quality has returned to an acceptable level, advisory will be removed. Beach operators will be notified that the beach is suitable for swimming. Signage will be removed from beaches and results will be updated online on this webpage.

There are many possible sources of E. coli contamination. Storm water runoff into recreational water sites can include contamination from animal waste, recreational vehicles and sewer overflows. Other possible sources are leaking septic tanks and discharge from boats. Heavy rain is often a factor contributing to poor beach water quality. Bacteria levels can be elevated after heavy rainfall and people are advised to avoid swimming at the beach for at least 48 hours.

Swimming, paddle boarding, surfing or any activity in which the whole body can be immersed and water will likely be swallowed.

Activities that result in regular wetting of limbs but swallowing of water is not usual. Such activities include canoeing, kayaking, sailing and fishing.

The level of E. coli contamination at which health risks occur from secondary contact recreation activities is unclear. Caution should be taken to avoid swallowing water. Afterward such activities, wash with soap and clean water particularly prior to eating.

Beach closures are different from water quality advisories; the following are examples of events that could lead to closure of the beach:

• Chemical, oil, sewage or other waste spills,

• Waste water treatment plant bypasses,

• Red tides or blue green algae (cyanobacteria) blooms,

• Fish or other wildlife die‐off at the beach,

• Visible debris, metal or sharp objects found in the water or beach area.

No one should swim at a beach that has been closed.

• Geometric mean is used to calculate the average concentration of E. coli based on the water samples collected over a period of time.
• A single sample is the concentration of E. coli at a particular point in time.
• The single sample limit will alert any immediate water quality issues and the geometric mean will alert any chronic contamination problems.
• Using both values will give a better evaluation of the water quality both in the short term and over the duration of the swimming season.

The number of samples collected by the beach operator is not sufficient to calculate a geometric mean. The beach remains open based on the available sample results.

Beaches that are not routinely sampled are not shown on the map.

Beach water quality reports are posted online here. E. coli counts for local beaches will be updated as results become available.