Opinion | We might be able to swim in the Potomac soon. Really. (2024)

Whenever I walk along the Potomac and Anacostia waterfronts, I picture myself floating out there on the water, taking in the city sights. As summer begins, the dream gets stronger but also broader. I wish for the city to ease, and one day reverse, the swim ban that keeps people out of its rivers, so that I’ll have company out there.

How long till my dream of swimming in the Anacostia and Potomac comes true?

For now, this classic summer activity is out of local bounds. Swimming in D.C.’s waters has been illegal since 1971, when it was codified in multiple places within the D.C. municipal code. The ban is backed up by federal law, including National Park Service regulations against swimming in the Tidal Basin or any other NPS-controlled bodies of water in the District.

At the time, the restrictions were a necessary public health measure, unfortunately. Back in the ’70s, high levels of bacteria from human fecal matter were detected in the rivers, coming from sewage. But the law has not been amended in decades, despite great improvements made to the city’s water filtration systems. It’s time for that to change.

Further improvements are on the horizon. In 2030, the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority is slated to complete the Potomac River Tunnel project, an effort to keep sewage from overflowing into the waterways during heavy rains. That will make a dramatic difference. The city of Alexandria’s RiverRenew Tunnel System Project is expected to deliver similar results by the end of 2025.

But we shouldn’t have to wait years. Today, many spots along the Potomac and Anacostia have bacteria levels consistently low enough to allow for safe swimming, and the water quality continues to improve. The city should consider a new approach that falls between a ban and a green light.

Rain is the key variable. Water quality and bacteria levels can change unpredictably after inclement weather, a major roadblock to safe swimming. The D.C. swimming statute has strict regulations for acceptable bacteria levels at which the ban can be lifted, and no water testing site can currently satisfy quality standards 100 percent of the time. But that doesn’t mean that D.C.’s rivers must remain always unswum.

The Potomac Riverkeeper Network and Anacostia Riverkeeper publish water quality data so residents and policymakers can track the progress of the cleanup. Both organizations have robust monitoring programs, and the Potomac Riverkeeper Network reports data weekly during the summer months.

In a future when swimming is legal in D.C., people could use the most up-to-date numbers to make individual recreation decisions. And in the case of rain, the city could close access points to the rivers to keep residents safe.

Consider the Wharf. The waterfront Southwest D.C. neighborhood resembles the harbor of Copenhagen, where a once-toxic industrial port was transformed into a popular swimming destination, thanks to investments in systems that can handle sewer discharge and a concerted effort to clean up toxic chemicals.

Now, Copenhagen harbor has public baths and beaches that are safe to swim except in times of especially heavy rain, when bacteria-laden wastewater and other pollutants are released into the harbor. Sound familiar? Copenhagen employs an online warning system to alert residents when the water is off limits because of poor quality. Copenhagen’s commitment to waterfront recreation provides a great example for the District to follow.

So, I’m not talking about letting people cannonball into the rivers tomorrow. What’s needed is for advocates and officials to come together and collaborate on a system that moves us away from our one-size-fits-all ban. It will take time to do right, but this future surely exists. The Potomac and Anacostia are waiting.