Latest news with #MichaelSchwandt
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Several Vancouver beaches remain closed for swimming ahead of big event weekend
On a weekend shaping up to be full of festivities around the beach, including the Vancouver Folk Music Festival and the Honda Celebration of Light fireworks, officials are warning people to stay out of the water in some popular areas. Nine beaches around Vancouver are currently designated as "not suitable for swimming," due to unsafe levels of E. coli, according to Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH): Ambleside Beach. Wreck Beach. English Bay. Kitsilano Beach. Second Beach. Sunset Beach. Third Beach. Lions Bay. Trout Lake. Three more beaches have E. coli levels that were higher than expected in samples, though swimming is not restricted: Dundarave Beach. Sandy Beach. Eagle Harbour. Michael Schwandt, medical health officer at VCH, said it's uncommon to have this many beaches not suitable for swimming at the same time. "Normally, we might see one or more beaches within that status at a given point in time, but not very commonly do we see so many all at the same time," Schwandt said. There are a number of possible contaminants, according to Schwandt, including runoff from sewers or leaking sewage, as well as discharge from boats or animal sources like dogs and birds. "We're working with the local and regional government to further examine that." Schwandt said there's been more reports of recreational boating in the area, particularly with the weekend's upcoming festivals, and suggested discharge from boats could be contributing to the increased levels of E. coli. Gregary Ford, vice-president of Swim Drink Fish Canada, an environmental charity focused on connecting people with water, noted E. coli is a natural bacteria found in the water, one that's frequently an indicator of "human fecal waste." It has the potential to cause human gastrointestinal illnesses, ear infections, eye infections and skin infections, according to Ford. "It's an unpleasant way to spend the day after a lovely day at the beach." He noted combined sewers, in which sanitary sewers and storm sewers are combined into a single pipe that directs the water to a treatment facility, are one way E. coli can enter local waterways. The systems are designed to overflow into water bodies like lakes and rivers, so they don't overflow back into streets or basements. "But what that means is that sometimes we are depositing this deleterious substance directly into the waters that people frequent for swimming, drinking or fishing." Ford said investing in infrastructure to separate storm and sanitary sewers is a long-term and expensive solution, so many municipalities are also investing in low-impact green infrastructure that can reduce the amount of runoff water entering the sewer system, such as rain barrels, stormwater ponds, bioswales (which carry stormwater to another location) or rain gardens. Ford said climate change means warmer temperatures and more intense, frequent rainfall are predicted. "It's critical that we bring this into the conversation, because as our climate starts to change and these rainfall events become more common, those are things that we need to keep in mind moving forward regarding how we effectively manage our stormwater." Stephen Paetkau of Skookum Yacht Services operates a free mobile pump-out service for the City of Vancouver to pump out "black water" from boats out to the city's sewer. He said there hasn't been much of an increase in customers for the pump-out service recently. "It's been pretty static for the last seven or eight years," he said. He said he was unsure if people are dumping waste from their boats. "It's literally something you have to be in the water to watch it happen in order to know it's happening." He said the boating community is also likely "better behaved" now than a decade ago, but noted there's little enforcement of Transport Canada's rules on dumping waste.
CBC
19-07-2025
- Health
- CBC
Several Vancouver beaches remain closed for swimming ahead of big event weekend
Social Sharing On a weekend shaping up to be full of festivities around the beach, including the Vancouver Folk Music Festival and the Honda Celebration of Light fireworks, officials are warning people to stay out of the water in some popular areas. Nine beaches around Vancouver are currently designated as "not suitable for swimming," due to unsafe levels of E. coli, according to Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH). Ambleside Beach Wreck Beach. English Bay. Kitsilano Beach. Second Beach. Sunset Beach. Third Beach. Lions Bay, Trout Lake. Three more beaches have E. coli levels that were higher than expected in samples, though swimming is not restricted. Dundarave Beach. Sandy Beach. Eagle Harbour. Michael Schwandt, medical health officer at VCH, said it's uncommon to have this many beaches not suitable for swimming at the same time. "Normally, we might see one or more beaches within that status at a given point in time, but not very commonly do we see so many all at the same time," Schwandt said. There are a number of possible contaminants, according to Schwandt, including runoff from sewers or leaking sewage, as well as discharge from boats or animal sources like dogs and birds. "We're working with the local and regional government to further examine that." Schwandt said there's been more reports of recreational boating in the area, particularly with the weekend's upcoming festivals, and suggested discharge from boats could be contributing to the increased levels of E. coli. Gregary Ford, vice-president of Swim Drink Fish Canada, an environmental charity focused on connecting people with water, noted E. coli is a natural bacteria found in the water, one that's frequently an indicator of "human fecal waste." It has the potential to cause human gastrointestinal illnesses, ear infections, eye infections and skin infections, according to Ford. "It's an unpleasant way to spend the day after a lovely day at the beach." He noted combined sewers, in which sanitary sewers and storm sewers are combined into a single pipe that directs the water to a treatment facility, are one way E. coli can enter local waterways. The systems are designed to overflow into water bodies like lakes and rivers, so they don't overflow back into streets or basements. "But what that means is that sometimes we are depositing this deleterious substance directly into the waters that people frequent for swimming, drinking or fishing." Ford said investing in infrastructure to separate storm and sanitary sewers is a long-term and expensive solution, so many municipalities are also investing in low-impact green infrastructure that can reduce the amount of runoff water entering the sewer system, such as rain barrels, stormwater ponds, bioswales (which carry stormwater to another location) or rain gardens. Ford said climate change means warmer temperatures and more intense, frequent rainfall are predicted. "It's critical that we bring this into the conversation, because as our climate starts to change and these rainfall events become more common, those are things that we need to keep in mind moving forward regarding how we effectively manage our stormwater." Stephen Paetkau of Skookum Yacht Services operates a free mobile pump-out service for the City of Vancouver to pump out "black water" from boats out to the city's sewer. He said there hasn't been much of an increase in customers for the pump-out service recently. "It's been pretty static for the last seven or eight years," he said. He said he was unsure if people are dumping waste from their boats. "It's literally something you have to be in the water to watch it happen in order to know it's happening." He said the boating community is also likely "better behaved" now than a decade ago, but noted there's little enforcement of Transport Canada's rules on dumping waste.
Global News
19-07-2025
- Health
- Global News
No-swimming advisories for 9 Metro Vancouver beaches likely to last all weekend
It might be the height of summer, but taking a dip to cool off at many of Metro Vancouver beaches is currently off-limits. Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) has issued advisories warning that nine local beaches are not suitable for swimming due to elevated E. coli levels. The advisories cover Ambleside and Lions Bay beaches on the North Shore, along with Trail 4 at Wreck Beach, English Bay, Kitsilano Beach, Second Beach, Sunset Beach, Third Beach and Trout Lake in Vancouver. Some sites, like Third Beach, recorded E. coli levels just slightly over the recommended testing limit, while others like Trail 4 at Wreck Beach had more than 10 times the recommended limit. 'In our institutional memory at Vancouver Coastal Health, we have not had this many beaches with that assessment all at once,' said VCH medical health officer Dr. Michael Schwandt. Story continues below advertisement E. coli is the same bacteria that can be found on vegetables or in beef. It is of particular concern for vulnerable populations, such as kids and seniors. A major contributor to E. coli in the water comes from fecal matter, both human and animal. 0:00 Health Matters: Vancouver water study 'That could be from a couple of different sources, some of those could be human, so that could be boats discharging toilets out on the water, sometimes sewage leaks or overflow as well,' Schwandt said. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'We also worry a little bit about animal sources, so geese have been implicated in some cases … here in the Vancouver area, I would think normally of human contamination, potentially some bird as well.' Exposure to the bacteria can lead to a variety of gastrointestinal illnesses — some serious — along with potential skin irritations. Story continues below advertisement E. coli-related beach closures have become a regular occurrence in Metro Vancouver in recent years, frequently exacerbated by bouts of hot weather. Vancouver city councillor Sarah Kirby-Yung said the city is doing what it can to address the issue. 'We put steps in place when I was on the Park Board such as offering free mobile (sewage) pump outs to boats, so trying to work towards addressing all the possible sources,' she said. 'Vancouver, being one of the oldest cities in the region, does not have all separated sewers, so we have been advancing the speed of that work. That's very costly and it takes a long time to do that.' Kirby-Yung added that the city has now dedicated one per cent of property tax to a dedicated infrastructure renewal fund aimed at speeding up that type of work. But she said given Vancouver's geography, the problem can likely only be minimized, not eradicated. In the meantime, officials are encouraging people to enjoy the beaches but steer clear of the ocean, and to ensure they wash their hands and shower thoroughly if they do come in contact with the water. 'At this point, we are expecting these beaches to remain closed over the weekend for the most part,' Schwandt said. Story continues below advertisement 'In the coming week we will hope for improved (E. coli) counts, and if that's the case, we will be able to reopen the beaches to swimming.'
CBC
18-07-2025
- Health
- CBC
Several Metro Vancouver beaches closed to swimming due to E. coli
Several beaches in Metro Vancouver are under no-swimming advisories due to high levels of They include Second Beach, Third Beach, Kitsilano Beach, Sunset Beach, English Bay, Trout Lake, as well as Dundarave Beach and Lions Bay. The advisories come after Vancouver Coastal Health's (VCH) routine water quality testing showed dangerous levels of E. coli. The most up-to-date list of affected beaches can be found here. E. coli is a bacteria that's commonly found in the intestinal tract of animals and humans, but it can also be found in swimming water that has been polluted with untreated waste. VCH says leaking septic tanks, discharge from boats and storm water runoff after heavy rains are key culprits. Michael Schwandt, a medical health officer for VCH, said that people can still go to the beach, but they should avoid going into the water until the advisories are lifted. No-swimming advisories at 8 Metro Vancouver beaches 2 hours ago "They can still be accessed for people to relax and spend time, but we would not recommend ... getting in the water," he said. Ocean water samples from West Vancouver's Dundarave Beach contained E. coli levels more than five times higher than the maximum allowable limit for safe swimming, while samples from Vancouver's Sunset Beach showed E. coli levels just over four times the allowable limit. Health officials say that swallowing water with high levels of E. coli can lead to vomiting, infections, and diarrhea. E. coli can also irritate the skin and seniors, children and people with compromised immune systems are most susceptible to it. Metro Vancouver beaches are monitored for from May to September, and many close during the summer due to high levels. The swimming advisories will remain until follow-up samples deem the water safe.
