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Originally Posted by edale
Eh, the beaches are extremely urban and it rains all the time in Chicago, so I'm sure there is quite a bit of undesirable crap in that water. In LA, they say not to go into the ocean if its rained in the past 3 days. Since it doesn't rain in the summer in LA, it's not much of an issue. But following that same rule would take quite a few days out of the already short swim season in Chicago.
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uhhh........ the chicago river was reversed 120 years ago, so rain that falls in chicago is diverted down the des plaines river and eventually into the mississippi, not into lake michigan, so that's generally not an issue. the river was reversed explicitly to keep all of that crap out of lake michigan, the source of chicago's drinking water. if it's good enough for 9 million people to drink and bathe in everyday, it's good enough to swim in.
every once in a while chicago's massive deep tunnel system is overwhelmed by extremely large rain events, and untreated water will back-up into the river and they end up opening control locks in downtown chicago and up in wilmette to release excess water into the lake. when that happens they do close area beaches for a couple days until lake currents can dilute that run-off to safe levels, but that's typically only once, maybe twice a summer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by edale
I'm not much one for swimming in a lake- prefer pools or the ocean
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i'm the complete opposite. i much prefer lake swimming over any other kind - no salt, no chlorine, no sharks - just beautiful fresh water, with nothing that can eat ya.
Quote:
Originally Posted by edale
I don't think of the lake as being great for swimming. Up in northern Michigan, sure, but Chicago? Idk about that.
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that's super. literally millions of chicagoans disagree with you.
if it was actually something to be worried about, there's no way in hell i would let my children swim in the lake all the time.
but be afraid, be very afraid, your sister sure has some amazing hold over you.
next time you're in the windy city, be sure not to drink any tap water because, ya know, scary, scary stuff.