Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) monitors the water quality at 50 Coast Garibaldi beaches. Sampling is conducted during the height of swim season (May – September).

VCH follows the Canadian Recreational Water Guidelines. Recreational water is considered safe if the geometric mean result is under 200 E.coli/100mL. Should the geometric mean exceed 200 E.coli/100 mL, or in the event of a known hazard or spill, the Medical Health Officer will make an assessment of the risk to human health. If there is a risk to human health, a warning sign will be posted at the beach stating “This Water is Contaminated and Unsafe for Swimming.” Results are communicated on the Vancouver Coastal Health website (http://www.healthspace.ca/vch). Fraser Riverkeeper updates Swim Guide according to these results, as soon as they become available.

Sampling for this region is dependent on available resources and assistance from local government and other agencies. The VCH employs a ‘risk management approach’ to water quality monitoring of this region, based on the knowledge that the majority of beaches have good to excellent historic water quality in the past.

Local governments or community organizations are encouraged to contact VCH if they would like to collect samples from public beaches in their community. VCH will offer assistance with training, lab services, and the posting of results.

Test results are not consistently posted – we will continue to work with VCH to ensure public safety. Recreational water quality for a beach is determined by E. coli counts from a laboratory approved by the BC Provincial Health Officer for Provincial Drinking Water and Microbiology Testing.

A beach is marked Green when single sample results are under 200 E.coli / 100 ML water.

A beach is marked Red when the results are equal to or above 200 E.coli / 100 ML water.

A beach is marked Grey when there are no current results or there is no available information.