San Luis is the first city to fly an ADEQ Air Quality Flag

San Luis is the first city in Arizona to join the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s (ADEQ) Air Quality Flag Program.

Brightly colored flags intended to raise awareness for air quality conditions will be placed all around the city Monday for residents to see. Each day, a flag will be raised matching the colors of the Air Quality Index (AQI).

By comparing the colored flags to the AQI, residents will know what actions to take to protect their health. Green signals good air quality, yellow is moderate, orange signals unhealthy for sensitive groups, and red signals unhealthy air for everyone. This also means outdoor activity should be limited.

Francia Alonso with the City of San Luis said it is a new way to protect locals who live, work, and play in the area.

“Residents need to know the air quality because it puts a strain on their activity and their day-to-day life. So, if the resident is active in sports and their air quality is not the best, it can affect their lungs and breathing,” said Alonso.

Locals can download the ADEQ’s Air Yuma application to stay informed on the Air Quality Flag Program before stepping outside. It maps out the conditions outdoors so residents can plan out their daily activities.

“[For farmers], a lot of their day-to-day work [is demanding and] very vigorous, whether they’re picking or working on the trackers, it’s very demanding and the air quality does affect them a lot,” said Alonso.

Francia also said that San Luis is growing very rapidly and with people coming in seasonally, she said it’s the perfect way for people to stay informed and improve their health for the future.

“We want to make sure that not only our residents, farm workers, and snowbirds stay safe, but also our foreign travelers that cross the border every day,” said Alonso.