As tempting as it may be to escape the July heat by jumping into the lake at one of Toronto’s many beaches, you’ll want to hold off for now, as all have just been deemed unsafe for swimming at.
Toronto Public Health’s latest water quality report conducted on July 16 at 1 p.m. indicated that all ten of the city’s public beaches tested unsafe for E. coli bacteria levels.
This includes Bluffer’s Beach, Centre Island Beach, Cherry Beach, Gibraltar Point Beach, Hanlan’s Point Beach, Kew-Balmy Beach, Marie Curtis Park Beach, Sunnyside Beach, Ward’s Island Beach, and Woodbine Beach.
Based on health guidelines set out by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, water is deemed unsafe to swim in when one sample contains 400 or more E. coli bacteria per 100 millilitres, or if the geometric mean of five samples is 200 or more.
Ingesting or consuming E. coli may result in serious illnesses, and its presence could indicate other bacteria in the water that could be harmful as well.
The high levels of bacteria were worsened by today and yesterday’s torrential downpours, due to pollution from a range of sources including stormwater runoff, combined sewer overflow, or streams and rivers flowing into local waterways.
It is best practice to avoid swimming in Lake Ontario for 48 hours after heavy rain, even if they are designated swimming beaches or Blue Flag approved.
If you’re still looking for some relief from the heat, consider one of Toronto’s rooftop pools with stunning views of the skyline.