From open -air sewer to a symbol of rebirth: the Chicago river returns to bathing after almost a century

For the first time in 98 years, hundreds of swimmers were able to dive into Chicago River, a watercourse that for decades had been synonymous with pollution and degradation. On Sunday 21 September, in fact, over 300 athletes participated in the first official edition of the Chicago River Swim, a race that celebrates the rebirth of the river and raises funds for research on SLA and for swimming education programs intended for young people.

The initiative was organized by A Long Swim, an association that has been linked to solidarity for years. The event transformed a stretch of the river, once unthinkable to attend, into an open -air sports arena, crowded with spectators along the Riverwalk.

A river that is reborn

For most of the twentieth century, the Chicago River was a receptacle for industrial discharges and waste water. The smell and contamination made it impractical, far from the image of livable urban space. The turning point came with the 1972 Clean Water Act and with the huge Deep Tunnel system, which allowed to deviate and treat the drain waters, progressively improving the quality of the river.

In the 2000s, the waterway began to respect the bathing standards set by the EPA, opening the way to a new perception of the river as a place of recreation and nature. Projects like the Wild Milethe floating park managed by Urban Rivers, testify to this change.

Between sport and solidarity

The race also took part in the race, such as the Olympian Olivia Smoliga, which described the event as a historical moment and a unique opportunity to look at the city from an unpublished point of view.

It was not just sports: the Chicago River Swim collected about $ 150,000 for research on SLA conducted by Northwestern University and another $ 50,000 for aquatic safety programs intended for $ 2,000 in the city. A concrete way to transform passion for swimming into real support to the community.

A new image for Chicago

If once the river was perceived as an “open -air sewer”, today events like this show that its reputation can change. Of course, the quality of the waters remains variable and subject to occasional weather and discharges, but the message is clear: the Chicago River is now an integral part of the city’s sustainable and sporting future.

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