beach

Taking a dip in Lake Michigan has always been something of an act of faith. The water you are swimming in today may be full of dangerous E. coli bacteria, but the earliest the city could close the beach down is tomorrow because the daily water samples take a day to yield results.

But now the guessing game is over, at least at Chicago’s 63rd Street Beach. This summer marks the beginning of a pilot program designed to better judge whether the water is safe for swimming.

When a red flag is flying, the color should stop beachgoers from testing out the water along Chicago’s shores. A green flag means ‘go.’ In reality, however, the flag color is based on bacteria tests performed yesterday and today’s water safety is still a mystery.

But now the guessing game is over, at least at Chicago’s 63rd Street Beach. This summer marks the beginning of a pilot program designed to better judge whether the water is safe for swimming.