Beach advisory lifted at popular Victoria swimming spot after sewage spill

Beach advisory lifted at popular Victoria swimming spot after sewage spill Published 4:53 pm Saturday, July 11, 2026 The swimming advisory for Vic West’s Banfield Park dock has been lifted.

Beach advisory lifted at popular Victoria swimming spot after sewage spill Published 4:53 pm Saturday, July 11, 2026 The swimming advisory for Vic West’s Banfield Park dock has been lifted. Island Health placed the popular swimming area under a beach advisory Thursday (July 9) due to sewage discharge.

“While public beaches are not technically closed to public access, it is highly recommended to not enter the water while an advisory is in place,” Island Health said on its website Thursday. The advisory was lifted Friday afternoon (July 10). The sewage spill came from a private storm drain at Gorge Road Health Centre, north of the Banfield dock, said a City of Victoria spokesperson.

Banfield Park was placed under a similar advisory because of sewage discharge in July last year. Beach advisories are recommended by Island Health when there is an indication of elevated bacterial levels in the water or other potential contaminants that increase the risk of illness to the public. Island Health works with local governments and agencies to ensure warning signs are posted to advise the public when the water may be unsafe.

Environmental health officers use a risk-assessment tool that takes into account past sample results, possible sources of contamination, and how the beach is used to decide how often each beach should be sampled. Based on their assessment, sampling usually happens weekly at high-risk beaches, every two weeks at moderate-risk beaches and monthly at low-risk beaches. Beach water is tested at popular swimming spots across Vancouver Island from mid-May to September.

Other advisories remain in place at Thetis Lake Beach, Gonzales Bay Beach, Esquimalt Gorge Park Kinsmen Beach, Glen Lake South, Beaver Lake and Ross Bay Beach. For updates visit: inspections.myhealthdepartment.com/island-health/beach-advisory. READ MORE: Sewage leak fails to keep swimmers out of Victoria’s Gorge Waterway.