New Zealand pop singer Lorde shared some news that made D.C.-area residents nervous during her Monday concert at The Anthem — she took a dip in the Potomac River.
An audience video posted on Twitter captured the artist saying “I was thinking today, I was lying in the Potomac River,” to the cheers of the crowd at first.
Then Lorde explicitly said “I love getting to swim in the water where I am playing,” and was received with a mix of shock and uneasy chuckles.
It’s been illegal to swim in the Potomac and Anacostia rivers since 1971 because of how vulnerable they are to contamination.
According to the Potomac Conservancy, the river’s quality received a B- grade in 2020. That’s down from its B grade in 2018, but a massive improvement from its D grade it received in 2011.
Still, the water is deemed too sketchy for most aquatic activities.
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“Our hometown river is in the middle of a comeback and is cleaner than in decades past, but it remains too polluted for safe swimming or fishing,” the conservancy writes for its Potomac Report Card.
The conservancy said that heavy rains can overflow old drains around the D.C. area and flush raw sewage into the rivers, leaving the waterways riddled with bacteria.
Another reason is the Potomac’s strong undercurrent makes it dangerous for swimming. Three people drowned in the river in August, according to multiple press reports.
As for Lorde, the singer is confident she’ll be fine.
Another fan video taken after the concert showed Lorde reacting to the news about the Potomac’s local reputation.
“Oh, I think all is well. But now I know why you were laughing. I’m happy to be a D.C. meme,” the singer can be heard saying.
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