Thursday, 4:30 PM
Charles River declared clean enough for swim race
By Beth Daley, Globe Staff
State health and environmental officials today declared the Charles River clean enough to hold an inaugural swim for 100 people tomorrow morning.
An unusually early bloom of blue-green algae that can be toxic to humans was discovered last week in the river, threatening to cancel the race for the second year in a row. But after analyzing water samples taken yesterday, state officials said all results were below levels that could cause a public health concern.
"We are beyond excited," said Ulla Hester, vice president of the Charles River Swimming Club and race director. "It’s been a long time coming and it’s finally coming to fruition."
The Charles River, made infamous by the 1960s song "Dirty Water," was once a dump for industrial waste and sewage. Today, after more than 20 years of clean-up efforts, it's clean enough for kayakers and windsurfers. The race was designed to celebrate the clean-up and signal a new effort to make the river swimmable all of the time.
"We’re delighted the swim can go on," said Wendy Fox, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Conservation and Recreation.
