In the middle of the hot summer, you might be dreaming of a beach vacation. Unfortunately, a lot of US beaches have shown unsafe swimming conditions. A study showed that 60 percent of America’s 4,500 beaches had at least one day of unsafe bacteria levels in 2018. The contamination was caused by sewage runoff and animal waste. The dirtiest beach was Southern California’s Cabrillo Beach; it had the highest percentage of unsafe days based on tests. Illnesses from swimming in contaminated water include stomach flu, rashes, and pink eye. Here’s the list of Illinois’ worst:
• South Shore Beach, Cook (38 unsafe days, 98 samples)
• Calumet South Beach, Cook (35, 96)
• 63rd Street Beach, Cook (34, 95)
• Rogers Avenue Park Beach, Cook (33, 95)
• Howard Street Park Beach, Cook (28, 96)