Water quality advisory issued for Vancouver's Kits Point

A warning sign is posted at Hadden Beach on Kits Point in Vancouver on Monday, July 3, 2023. (CTV)

The local health authority is advising against swimming at Hadden Beach on Vancouver's Kitsilano Point because of high levels of bacteria in the water.

Vancouver Coastal Health issued the water quality advisory over the weekend, after consecutive water samples at the beach showed E. coli concentrations in excess of 400 parts per 100 millilitres. 

"The public is advised not to swim or wade in the water until the advisory is removed," the health authority says on its website.

"Seniors, infants and children, and people with weakened immunity are the most susceptible."

Water quality advisories are issued whenever routine testing yields consecutive results over 400 parts per 100 millilitres and whenever the geometric mean of recent tests rises above 200 parts per 100 millilitres.

In the case of Hadden Beach, the health authority's website lists a recent sample at 591 E. coli per 100 millilitres.

Symptoms of E. coli infection include nausea, vomiting, headache, mild fever, severe stomach cramps and watery or bloody diarrhea. They typically appear between one and 10 days after exposure to E. coli bacteria, and end on their own after five to 10 days. 

Severe cases can be life-threatening, particularly to highly susceptible groups.

As of Monday morning, the only other beach with a water quality advisory in the Vancouver Coastal Health region was Sandy Beach on Bowen Island.