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Health Indicators Dashboard
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Water Quality
Lake Michigan and the Root River are important natural resources for the City of Racine. They supply water for drinking, farming, industry, and recreation, and provide habitat for many plant and animal species. Water quality can affect how residents and visitors feel about the City. Clean water attracts businesses and tourists, and increases the quality of life for Racine’s citizens. This section contains information on Racine’s water quality.
Beaches
Source: City of Racine Public Health Department Laboratory
North and Zoo Beach are the two monitored beaches in the City of Racine. The water quality is affected by many factors, including rainfall and high waves. The number of closings and advisories remained relatively stable over the years. However, in 2020, we experienced an unusual large spike in beach advisories and closures at the Zoo Beach.
.jpg "Water Quality - Average Number of Beach Visitors")
Source: City of Racine Public Health Department Laboratory
July and August are typically the peak months of the beach season. However, after 2021, there has been a decreasing numbers of visits compared to previous years, likely due to the pandemic and a general decline in visits to crowded places.
Root River
Source: City of Racine Public Health Department Laboratory
The Root River weaves through the City of Racine and has five sites that are often used for recreation purposes. These sites have water samples taken weekly to assess quality and safety. Many factors can contribute to elevated E. coli levels and affect the quality of water, including runoff from rain events and snow melt. During the month of September in 2023, all five locations experienced high levels E. coli with Rec Center location having the highest.
