On June 24, as Philadelphians faced a blistering heatwave with temperatures soaring to 100 degrees, Symiya Taylor, a young woman from West Philadelphia, found respite in the Wissahickon. She and her friends ventured to the creek to take a dip, drawn by a friend’s previous experience at Devil’s Pool, a natural swimming hole formed by the drainage of Cresheim Creek.
The popularity of the swimming area attracted a crowd of about 200 people that day. Laughter and sounds of excitement mingled with the sizzle of food on a grill, as groups gathered to swim and cliff dive off the surrounding rocks.
“I like the thrill of it,” Taylor shared after her plunge into the water. “But I couldn’t feel the bottom and I was panicking on the first swim.”
However, swimming in the Wissahickon is officially prohibited due to a citywide swimming ban enforced by Parks & Recreation. The nonprofit Friends of the Wissahickon (FOW), which manages portions of the park, acknowledges the ban but emphasizes that it is for safety reasons.
Sarah Marley, the interim executive director of FOW, warned about the multitude of hazards present in the park’s waterways. The absence of lifeguards means that swimming conditions can quickly turn dangerous. “Strong currents can lead to drowning, submerged objects can cause severe injury, and poor water quality can result in skin infections and/or gastrointestinal distress,” she explained.
Tragically, these dangers are all too real. In June 2023, the Wissahickon witnessed two drownings within a span of three weeks: a 38-year-old man who fell into Devil’s Pool and a 21-year-old man overwhelmed while swimming. A decade earlier, a harrowing incident marked the creek’s history when a father jumped in to save his son, leaving both dead.
Drownings are not confined to the Wissahickon; historical accounts reflect a broader trend of dangers associated with the city’s waterways. Notably, in June 1952, an 18-year-old lifeguard drowned in a rain-swollen Pennypack Creek, after mistaking a log for a person and being pulled over an 11-foot dam.
While drownings are easily recorded, the potential health effects of swimming in contaminated water are often overlooked. Public health experts face challenges linking illnesses, like gastrointestinal issues, directly to specific swimming events. However, research does suggest concerning estimates. A 2024 study led by Temple University found that exposure to pathogens while swimming in local creeks could result in between 1 to 37 illnesses per 1,000 exposures, depending on various factors.
For swimmers, this data presents a complex picture of risk. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recommended states establish safety thresholds of acceptable illness rates between 32 and 36 per 1,000 exposures. Of note, the 2024 Temple study indicated that the risk of illness from swimming in Devil’s Pool may be as low as 1 in 1,000. However, these findings must be taken in context, as they were generated using different assessment methods than those used by regulatory bodies.
This confusion regarding safety is echoed in various locations throughout Philadelphia. For example, Discovery Pathways conducted water tests at FDR Park’s lake in summer 2024, focusing on E. coli levels linked to fecal contamination. Their findings revealed that only one week out of fifteen saw elevated levels exceeding EPA guidelines.
Kroll’s analysis highlights a disconnect between public understanding of water conditions and the reality faced by recreational users. The Wissahickon is indeed downstream from multiple wastewater treatment facilities in Montgomery County, which release treated sewage water into tributaries that contribute to the creek’s flow. This fact often raises concerns about water safety; however, modern treatment processes significantly reduce pathogens before release.
The predominant sources of dangerous pathogens in the creek stem from animal waste and human activities, particularly runoff during rainstorms which introduces pollutants like pesticides and fertilizers.
Moreover, many waterways throughout Philadelphia are affected by the city’s aging combined sewer systems. This antiquated infrastructure leads to sewage overflows during storms, contaminating local water bodies, including the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers. A 2021 study examining these recreational sites found that overflow events correspondingly increased the likelihood of illness by 39% to 79%.
The ramifications of these hazards extend beyond health concerns. Nonprofit organizations that oversee numerous watershed parks can face legal repercussions from accidents occurring on their watch. The Friends of Pennypack Park, for instance, disbanded in 2020 after it was sued twice: once by the family of an injured girl and again by the family of a boy who drowned while fishing.
Joseph Syrnick, president of Schuylkill Banks, emphasizes the frequency of lawsuits against nonprofit operations managing public access to water. “You’d be surprised by the number of claims related to harm from water interactions,” he remarked. As a result, such legal liabilities can deter organizations from facilitating public use of waterfront facilities.
Financial considerations also pose a challenge. The Philadelphia Water Department is already investing billions into reducing sewage overflow volumes, costs ultimately passed to residents through monthly water bills. To meet safety standards for city waterways, significantly larger investments would likely be necessary.
Enhancing river access would require further expenditure on infrastructure improvements, such as new boat ramps, lifeguard staffing, and patrols—challenges compounded by Parks & Recreation’s ongoing staffing shortages at public swimming pools.
Despite these obstacles, advocates for water recreation remain hopeful about the future of swimming in Philadelphia’s waterways. Syrnick believes that simple solutions, such as installing locked gates at access points, can establish legal protection while still encouraging public use.
“You don’t want to be paralyzed by fear of a lawsuit,” Syrnick said, “but safety and best practices must guide how we facilitate access to our waters.”
Kroll aligns with this sentiment, asserting that with proper education, the risks of water recreation can be mitigated, just as safety is taught for other activities like biking. She noted that among the 150,000 paddlers she has helped connect with the city’s waters since 2017, none have drowned.
Kroll also praised the drastic improvements in water quality achieved since the Clean Water Act was passed in 1972, which imposed regulations that significantly reduced pollution levels in urban waterways. She dreams of a future where the goal of making rivers “swimmable and fishable” becomes a reality in Philadelphia. Citing recent advancements, she noted, “Paris just reopened the Seine to swimming for the first time in a century after concerted cleanup efforts.”
“I tell people I’m 45 years old and my dream is to, before I’m too old, have beaches on the Delaware and the Schuylkill,” Kroll reflected, drawing parallels to the turnaround of Chicago’s waterfront, historically deemed too polluted for recreation.
In summary, while the hot days of summer encourage people to seek aquatic relief in Parks like Wissahickon, the safety implications cannot be ignored. Ongoing challenges surrounding contamination and legal liability present hurdles that advocates aspire to overcome through community dialogue and investment in safer access practices. The dream for clean, swimmable water in Philadelphia remains alive, as organizations and city officials contemplate a future prioritizing the value and health of urban waterways.
image source from：chestnuthilllocal
