Swim Drink Fish Toronto Community Monitoring Hubs

Swim Drink Fish staff have been collecting water samples for investigations, research reports, legal action, and media training since our first day back in 2001. Over the years, we’ve discovered that routine water quality monitoring at recreational sites has a special power. To know if waters are “swimmable”, you need to collect samples on a regular basis. That’s because recreational water quality is like the weather — it changes all the time.

ake Ontario Waterkeeper began collecting water samples and testing for E. coli in 2016. E. coli is an indicator for sewage—the more E. coli present in a sample, the greater the risk to public health and the environment.

2021 is the sixth year of sampling at Toronto's Inner Harbour sites. Staff along with a group of trained citizen scientists sample the water every Tuesday and Thursday. We sample three main locations in the Inner Harbour In 2019, Ontario Place West Island Beach was also added as a site- which is one of the few accessible swimming locations in Toronto’s West End.

In 2018 two teams of dedicated, trained citizen scientists started monitoring Humber Bay West Park in Etobicoke, and Algonquin Bridge and Snake Island on Wards Island. In 2021, First Street Beach was added as a sampling site. We have added the