VERIFY | Yes, the Anacostia River is getting cleaner

WASHINGTON — For the first time in more than 50 years, swimmers might get the chance to dive into the Anacostia River. A local nonprofit is inviting swimmers to a community event in July. 

Activities like swimming were banned in 1971 because of bacteria contamination caused by sewage overflow. But things have changed since then.

THE QUESTION

Is the Anacostia River cleaner than it used to be?

THE SOURCES

THE ANSWER

Yes, the Anacostia River is cleaner than it used to be. 

WHAT WE FOUND

Environmental regulators use several different factors to decide if a river is safe for things like fishing, drinking water and swimming. When it comes to swimming, Washington D.C. looks closely at E.Coli levels. 

Since then, two nonprofits, Anacostia Riverkeepers and Anacostia Watershed Society, have helped federal and local governments monitor and clean the river. The Anacostia Watershed Society puts out a report card every grading the river on multiple aspects of overall health. The latest annual report shows that the river's cleanliness in regard to fecal matter has trended up for a couple decades.

However, the group only gave it a score of 55. A score of 100 would indicate low enough levels of fecal matter that the river could be considered safe to swim in at all times.

Anacostia Riverkeeper says recent sewage system improvements have dropped sewage overflow by 80% In its testing over the last two years, the group says the river’s water quality has met the contamination standard 90% of the time.

Anacostia Riverkeeper will host the event on July 8 off the Kingman Island Dock next to the Benning Road Bridge. It received a special permit from the District to stage the event. Swimmers may register for free tickets for a limited number of time slots. The event will be dependent on water quality samples taken the day before.

Chris Williams, President and CEO of the Anacostia Watershed Society, said this is an important milestone in the ongoing journey to revitalize the river. 

"The fact is that, based on water quality standards for E. coli, parts of the river are swimmable for parts of the year. While this represents significant progress, it does not mean that today the river is generally safe for swimming," Williams said.