![]() ![]() Please do not swim if you’re not feeling well.Pick up after your pets and place pet waste in trash cans. Grill only in designated areas, and place your charcoal waste in the marked red metal containers.Put small children in waterproof diapers and change diapers frequently.Garbage - especially leftover food - attracts birds and other wildlife to the beaches, resulting in water contamination. Place all garbage and recycling in their appropriate containers.Here are the things you can do to help keep Chicago's beaches clean: Keeping our beaches clean also helps to prevent water quality swim advisories. Īll visitors to our beaches want to enjoy an experience free from garbage, waste and other environmental nuisances. Current and historical records can be downloaded by searching “Beach Lab Data’ on. If a water sample exceeds 1000 CCE of Enterococci bacteria, the Chicago Park District will issue a swim advisory which will be indicated with a yellow flag.īeach water quality information is posted on by 1:30 pm each day throughout the swimming season. Why does CPD issue water quality advisories? This standard is used at beaches throughout the Great Lakes region. US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) beach policy recommends notifying the public when Enterococci bacteria levels are above the federal water quality Beach Action Value (BAV), which is 1000 CCE. However, this bacteria is an indicator of the presence of other pathogens that could make you sick. ![]() Enterococci is not harmful itself and is naturally occurring in the environment. The Chicago Park District tests the water for Enterococci bacteria. The Chicago Park District uses results of the Rapid Test to notify the public when the risk is elevated for developing water-borne illness. The traditional Culture Based method provides results after 18-24 hours, but the Rapid Test provides results within 3-4 hours. The Rapid Testing method measures levels of bacterial DNA in beach water. The Chicago Park District and the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health have partnered to expand the water quality testing program to utilize a new Rapid Testing method developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Chicago Park District Lab Sample Collectors sample between sunrise and 8:30 am. The Chicago Park District samples the beaches seven days a week starting the Friday of Memorial Day weekend until Labor Day. ![]()
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