toronto waterfront

Toronto's waterfront has a major E.coli issue

The general consensus about swimming in Toronto's harbour is that you just don't do it. And new research has revealed that there are certain areas you should definitely avoid sticking your toes in.

Local environmental non-profit Lake Ontario Waterkeeper recently collected 166 water samples from various spots along Toronto's lakeshore and lab results show there's high levels of E. coli bacteria in at least nine locations.

This map shows the worst spots, all located between Bathurst and the Port Lands.

The likely cause? Apparently it's the city's habit of regularly dumping raw sewage and waste into lake.

According to Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, the sewage problem needs to be addressed - and fast. Thankfully, some major sewage infrastructure projects have already been approved and are scheduled to be completed by 2024.

Lead photo by

Jae Yang


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