Due to pollution, swimming in the Anacostia River has been illegal since the 1970s For the first time in 50 years, July 8th for a one-time swim event.

The Anacostia Riverkeeper, Trey Sherard, says “We live in a city with two rivers.”He continued, “I really hope for a future where everybody can enjoy that and it’s not a source of fear or concern.”

Sherard shares, why the river has been out of commission,  “The problem last year, was not water quality.” He added, “Water quality was pretty good most of the summer. The problem last summer was red tape.” For almost 20 years DC Water put to work the $2.7 billion project to cleanse the water.

“Eventually, as we document that it’s safe to swim and we show more people that it’s safe to swim, we want to see the District move towards pulling down the swim ban, at least for the sites that we know are regularly safe,” Sherard says.