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Pollution levels at the east end of False Creek are almost quadruple safe levels, a year after Vancouver city council passed a motion to make the waterway swimmable by this summer.

The concentration of animal or human fecal contamination registered at 776 in False Creek East early this month, about four times the level of 200 E. coli per 100 ml of water considered safe for swimming, according to latest Vancouver Coastal Health test numbers.

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The pollution hit a high of 926 at the end of May and has hit weekly highs of over 500, from 541 to 855, during six other weeks this spring/summer season already.

In 2017, the E. coli levels topped 500 only three weeks in total.

Neither the city or health authority could explain why the pollution levels were higher this year over last year.

“The reason for contamination can vary widely,” said health authority spokesman Matt Kieltyka in an email. “Rain is often a factor contributing to beach water pollution,” because heavy rain overwhelms sewers and forces water into waterways.