The Chicago River Swim presented by the City of Chicago and Mayor Brandon Johnson will return for its second annual event on Sunday, September 20, 2026.

The event is organized by the nonprofit A Long Swim, which was founded by marathon swimmer and ALS advocate Doug McConnell.

The EPA on Thursday announced an initiative to help reuse water, partly in an effort to assist data centers that need to lower the temperatures of the electrical equipment that powers AI.

The 41 Space to Grow playgrounds across the city, all with underground chamber systems acting as sponges, gradually release water into the ground, collectively capturing up to 8.7 million gallons of water every time it rains.

Residents are asked to delay showers and baths, flush toilets less frequently and wait to run the dishwasher or washing machine.

TARP consists of three reservoirs and four tunnel systems. At this time, TARP is holding more than 2.4 billion gallons of water. 

Hosted by Agence de l’Eau Seine Normandie, the event welcomed senior officials and water experts from Paris, Mexico City, New York, Los Angeles, London and Chicago.

Swimmable Cities reflects a wider global movement to improve water quality in urban rivers.

Reduce your use of water before, during and after rainstorms to reduce the amount of water in your municipal sewers.