Lake Michigan Beach Advisories Raise Health Concerns This Summer

CHICAGO, Ill. — August is a popular time for swimming in Lake Michigan, as the water temperature hovers in the upper 60s. However, an invisible danger lurks beneath the surface, making many beaches unsafe for swimming.

In 2024, over 300 beaches across the Great Lakes had to close or issue swim advisories due to high bacteria levels, primarily E. coli. This contamination often results from runoff or sewer overflows during heavy rainfall, according to state and federal reports.

Specifically, Illinois experienced 83 advisories or closures last summer, ranking second worst in the Midwest. Almost half of those were in Lake County’s 13 lakefront beaches, while Cook County saw 12 advisories across nine beaches.

So far this summer, Lake County has recorded 49 advisories, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported. One advisory has also been issued in Cook County, according to officials in Evanston.

“What we want, really want, to see is not that people say, ‘Well, that’s just the way it is.’ It shouldn’t have to be this way,” said Nancy Stoner, senior attorney with the Environmental Law and Policy Center. “It’s pollution that can be controlled and should be controlled, because people deserve to be able to know that they can swim safely in the Great Lakes.”