Heading to the beach? You’re in luck — all É«É«À² public beaches are open for swimming as of July 5 at 5 p.m. Here’s the latest beach water quality report from É«É«À² Public Health:
Bluffer’s Beach (1 Brimley Road South) tested safe for swimming on July 5
Centre Island Beach (É«É«À² Islands) tested safe for swimming on July 5
Cherry Beach (1 Cherry Street) tested safe for swimming on July 5
Gibraltar Point Beach (É«É«À² Islands) tested safe for swimming on July 5
Hanlan’s Point Beach (É«É«À² Islands) tested safe for swimming on July 5
Kew-Balmy Beach (1 Beech Avenue) tested safe for swimming on July 5
Marie Curtis Park Beach (2 42nd Street) tested safe for swimming on July 5
Sunnyside Beach (1755 Lake Shore Boulevard West) tested safe for swimming on July 5
Ward’s Island Beach (É«É«À² Islands) tested safe for swimming on July 5
Woodbine Beach (1675 Lake Shore Boulevard East) tested safe for swimming on July 5
According to public health guidelines from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, water is considered unsafe for swimming when one sample contains 400 or more E. coli bacteria per 100 millilitres, or the geometric mean of five samples is 200 or more.
Collecting, transporting and testing beach water for E. coli can take a day or more, so the latest available data may not reflect current conditions at the beach. Swimming is not recommended when it’s raining, the water is wavy or cloudy, there are lots of birds, or for two days after a big storm.
Consuming E. coli can cause serious illness, including stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting. When high levels of the bacteria are detected it’s more likely that other harmful organisms are present as well, including those that cause skin rashes and eye, ear, nose and throat infections.
A beach may also be considered unsafe for swimming due to weather conditions, runoff, pollution, spills, smells, garbage, sharp debris and dead fish. In addition, public beaches are monitored for blue-green algae, which can be highly toxic to humans, dogs and other animals.
About this story
This story is automatically generated at 7 a.m. and updated periodically until 3 p.m. as new data become available from .
TO
The Torstar Open Data Team produces articles using data and
automation. Topics include weather forecasts, highway closures,
restaurant inspections, beach water quality reports and election
results. The team is Lucas Timmons and Cody Gault with support from
the Star and Metroland’s editorial and technical teams.
