Seasonal water quality testing has begun at Vancouver Island beaches, with samples taken at four Greater Victoria locations coming in over the limit for bacteria.

Resulting water quality advisories are now in place for Esquimalt Gorge Park, Saanich Inlet at Clarke Road, Coles Bay Beach and Ross Bay Beach.

At Gorge Park the test came up almost 33 times over the recommended maximum level of the enterococci bacteria, an indicator of fecal contamination.

Canadian government standards say there should be less than 70 enterococci per 100 millilitre sample. The sample at Gorge Park turned up 2,300.

The other areas had poor results, but nowhere near as bad as at Gorge Park. For Saanich Inlet at Clarke road the sample came in slightly over the limit with 85 enterococci, Coles Bay at Inverness Road had 165, and Ross Bay at the end of Eberts Street had 95 enterococci in a sample.

Beach sampling is conducted by Island Health between mid-May and September each year.

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