ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Chicago area water quality

Okay kiddo, let's talk about the water you drink and use every day in the city of Chicago. Water quality refers to how clean and safe the water is for you to drink or use in other ways like brushing your teeth, taking a shower or washing your hands.

Chicago gets its water from Lake Michigan, which is a huge body of fresh water. But before the water can be used, it goes through a process called water treatment.

This means that the water is cleaned to make sure it's safe to drink. The water treatment plant removes things like dirt, bacteria, and other harmful substances.

After the water is treated, it goes through pipes to homes and buildings all over the city. The city also regularly tests the water to make sure it continues to meet safety standards.

In some parts of the city, there are older pipes that can sometimes cause problems with the water quality. This can happen when the pipes get old and start to break or leak. When this happens, it can allow dirt or other things to get into the water.

But don't worry, the city is working hard to replace these older pipes and keep the water clean and safe for you to use.

So, in short, the water you drink and use in Chicago comes from Lake Michigan and goes through a process to make it clean and safe to use. The city regularly monitors the water to make sure it's still safe to use and is working to replace older pipes to keep the water quality high.
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