WASHINGTON — A swimming pool in the Anacostia River? An environmental study shows the idea is achievable.
The Anacostia Waterfront Trust [AWT], DC Department of Energy and Environment [DOEE] and SmithGroup, an architectural engineering firm, all contributed to a study that assessed the feasibility of a river swimming pool project.
Erin Garnaas-Holmes, a project director with AWT, said the groups were able to explore the idea because the Anacostia River has experienced steady improvement in water quality.
"We have this huge amenity, full of water, the Anacostia, that's actually getting better due to a lot of investment taxpayers and government agencies have put in over decades,” he said. “We're starting to see some of the benefits of that."
Garnaas-Holmes added there were days in 2018 where the Anacostia River’s water quality passed EPA standards for swimming. Currently, it is only legal to swim in the Anacostia and Potomac rivers during permitted events.
The study explored several possible designs for the swimming pool project based off research of similar river swimming pool projects in Copenhagen, Paris and London.
Garnaas-Holmes said a pool in D.C. could ultimately take one of several shapes.
"What we've seen in other cities range from essentially a classic beachfront where you have a sandbar down into the water and you just enter naturally,” he said. “There are simple buoys off of docks where you sort of just jump into the water off a floating dock and swim back to shore. Or, there are these sort of floating dock structures that sort of create a pool in the river."
The study also looked at nine possible locations for an Anacostia River pool as well. The locations included near Diamond Teague Park, Kingman Island near Benning Road and along Poplar Point.
But, Garnaas-Holmes says it could be a few years before locals see the project come to fruition.
“But, that doesn't stop us from doing sort of temporary, pop-up events,” he said. “So, for instance, on this dock right here [Diamond Teague Park], we are considering maybe applying for one of those permits we mentioned to do one day where people could jump in the river during a really controlled event for a number of hours on a hot summer day."
The swimming pop-up events could happen either this year or next year, according to Garnaas-Holmes.
Estimates as to when the Anacostia River could be completely swimable vary. Last year, the Anacostia Riverkeeper predicted DC could see a swimable Anacostia River by 2022. While Mayor Muriel Bowser has circled 2032 as the year she would like to see all rivers be swimable and fishable in the District.
Either way, the fact a conversation is even being had about swimming in the Anacostia River is remarkable to many locals.
"It's just amazing to see the health of the river come back in such a momentous way,” said DOEE spokesperson Cecile Green.
The Anacostia River has been plagued by pollutants from stormwater runoff and litter.
However, in 2018, experts noticed the Anacostia had made notable strides toward good health.
In the summer, while the Anacostia’s E-Coli levels remained higher than the standard needed to allow for swimming in the waterway, the river’s pH and turbidity levels were more acceptable many days out of the season.
The Anacostia Watershed Society ultimately gave the river's water quality a passing grade for the first time ever.
Green said several factors have contributed to the river’s improved health.
She said the DOEE has made an ardent effort to keep stormwater out of the riverway.
“The biggest thing we can do to prevent this kind of pollution is to make sure these pollutants aren't entering the storm drains,” Green said.
She added DC Water’s Clean Rivers Program has also made a considerable impact in making both the Anacostia River healthier.
The Clean Rivers Project is a 13-mile underground tunnel designed to capture billions of gallons of raw sewage that flow into the Anacostia River every time it rains.
Despite, the improvement, some DC residents remain skeptical about swimming in the Anacostia River in the future.
“There’s the pollution element,” said Navy Yard resident Valencia Bembry. “I live here. So, I see all of the discharge everywhere.
Garnaas-Holmes acknowledges the public’s perception will be an obstacle to overcome.
"The real challenge here isn't a technical feasibility of how do we build something and where do we put it,” he said. “It's going to be convincing people that we've actually come this far and we can jump in the river."
Below is a map of some of the possible locations for the pool in the Anacostia River. Mobile users, if you can't see it, click here.