2 Toronto beaches currently unsafe for swimming due to high E. coli levels
Posted July 14, 2025 1:40 pm.
Last Updated July 14, 2025 3:49 pm.
Two of Toronto’s beaches are currently considered unsafe for swimming due to high levels of E. coli or the possibility of levels rising.
Samples of water taken at Sunnyside Beach on Sunday showed 344 E. coli per 100 milliliters of water sampled, far exceeding the City of Toronto’s established beach water quality standard of 100 E.coli per 100 milliliters of water. The City lists the current status of the beach as “caution is advised.”
At Marie Curtis Park East Beach, recorded E. coli levels on Sunday showed 34 E. coli per 100 milliliters of water sampled. However the public health advisory on the City’s website noted “heavy rainfall and declining weather conditions indicate an increasing trend in E. coli levels.” As such, the current status of the beach is also listed as “caution is advised.”
The City of Toronto says beach water quality is tested for bacterial levels every day because it can change daily, and even hourly, based on factors like weather and nearby sources of pollution.
However, since lab results take 24 hours to process, the City warns beach goers not to rely on the daily lab numbers alone, but to make an informed decision based on rainfall levels, wind and the presence of waterfowl.
They also caution that “shallow bodies of water are likely to be warmer and bacteria levels can increase quickly in warm temperatures and tend to be higher in wet sand as well.”
Click here for a full list of Toronto’s designated beaches and their current water quality.
