False Creek Sample Results

Year-round, the False Creek Water Monitoring Program staff and a team of well-trained volunteers collect weekly samples from the following sites: Sunset Beach - Aquatic Centre; Brokers' Bay; Alder Bay; Olympic Village Dock; Habitat Island; David Lam Park; Charleson Park.

Samples are then brought to Fraser Riverkeeper’s in-house, microbiological IDEXX lab on Granville Island and analyzed using a Colilert system for testing E. coli levels in water. As E. coli is an indicator of sewage, the more E. coli present in a sample the greater the risk to public health and the environment. Our data helps provide more information about the recreational water quality in this very popular and busy water body. Vancouver Coastal Health monitors three locations in False Creek: East, Central, and West.

All new sites have been added to Swim Guide, a free app and website, where the sampling results will be published weekly.

To read more about Swim Guide check out the website here or our recent post click here.

Latest Sampling Results

E.coli count MPN/100ml - Last sampled: April 11, 2019

See previous sample results below:

Recreational water quality criteria

Fraser Riverkeeper – Swim Drink Fish monitors the water quality at 7 Vancouver False Creek-area beaches. Sampling will be conducted from July to December. Fraser Riverkeeper follows the Guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality. The recommended threshold for bathing is: a geometric mean of 200 E coli/100mL and a single sample of 400 E coli/100 mL.

• A beach is marked Green in Swim Guide when geometric mean results are under 200 E.coli / 100 mL water and single sample results are below 400 E.coli/100mL.
• A beach is marked Red when the geometric mean results are equal to or above 200 E.coli / 100 mL water or single sample results are above 400 E.coli/100 mL. 
• A beach is marked Grey when there are no current results or there is no available information.
• The geometric mean is calculated based on the 5 last samples. 
• The single sample is the weekly sample result. 

To read more about our findings for 2018, click here to read our First Season Report.