A Flag a Day Keeps the Bacteria Away

By Joanna Miller in News on May 22, 2006 7:30PM

When Chicagoist first heard that the city has implemented a new color-coded flag system to alert beachgoers of the E. coli levels in the water, we were a little skeptical. But only because the last time we read about a color-coded warning system, our eyes rolled so far back, they got stuck that way for a little while.

But unlike our least favorite color warning system ever, this one is much more useful. For one, it only uses three universally recognizable colors: red, yellow and green. Red for high levels of bacteria (stop!), yellow for moderately high levels (proceed with caution!) and green for ideal swimming conditions (go!).

Not only are these colors easy to understand, it’s also pretty clear what you should do with the information. Red and yellow – probably stay out of the water. Green – get your swim on. See? Much more clear than “be vigilant, take notice of [your] surroundings, and report suspicions items or activities.” But we digress. Keep an eye out for these flags when you hit the beach, and have a super, bacteria-free summer.

Chicago Beach II via Brian Van Reet