By John Dempsey, WLS News
(Chicago) You might want to think twice before taking your next kayak trip down the Chicago River. The Chicago Tribune says new testing from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District says the river has “staggeringly” high levels of fecal bacteria.
The testing shows that levels of germs in the river that can cause disease, regularly exceed state standards for recreational waterways. The levels are frequently tens of thousands of times above legal limits.
Mayor Emanuel has called the river the city’s next “recreational frontier”. Kayaking activity has increased in recent years and just this summer, several new bars and restaurants opened on the city’s newly expanded Riverwalk downtown.
@ 2015 WLS News
