Chicago Parks District Toilet Water Not Safe for Drinking

A hairy man in a black floral women's swimsuit adjusts his Goldilocks wig before he picks up his bags again.  His lipstick is smeared, but the sunbathers he meets excuse it, maybe because of his sex, or it could be his spirited bounce.

"Hey girl," he shouts as he approaches each group.  "Hey girl! You all look beautiful today!"

"Thank you," the ladies yell back.

"How do I look?"

"Oh, you look good, honey."

Toward the men, he is more physical. "You're so cute, I have to kiss you on the cheek.  Mwah! Now you'll never want to wash this cheek again."

He chats, he poses for pictures, and he moves on to talk to other beachgoers.  He's not the only compelling sight at Kathy Osterman (aka Hollywood) Beach today.  Nervous paddleboarders try to stay up on the water, fit teenage lifeguards patrol the shore, and neverending volleyball games rage across four nets. Kite-flyers try to catch a breeze.  A young woman videotapes her "ice bucket challenge" using the leftovers of a cooler.  Across the waterfront, adventurous costumes flourish.

And the restroom offers still more to see.  Above a toilet, the Chicago Parks District has posted:  "This fixture is flushed with harvested rainwater. Not safe for drinking."

Though people are unlikely to drink from toilets anyway, the notice does draw attention to the city's venture into sustainable amenities.  The award-winning bathrooms designed by Wahaso "harvest rain water for use in flushing toilets, are vented and cool
ed naturally by lake breezes, and are 100% naturally day lit through the use of solar skylight tubes."  Though the water is sanitized against microbes, the system uses ultraviolet (UV) disinfection instead of chlorine so that there is no residual for the disinfection to continue working.  Also, the water is not treated for other impurities, and the pH of natural rainwater is somewhat acidic.  However, it's still perfectly safe to flush toilets.


What's the craziest thing you've ever seen at the beach?