Baltimore to host Inner Harbor swimming event in 2024 after reducing sewage overflow
BALTIMORE -- The Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore has been working toward the goal of a swimmable and fishable Baltimore harbor for over a decade.
On Thursday, the organization announced plans for a public swimming event—Harbor Splash 2024—in the harbor next year.
"It seems possible," Federal Hill resident Jim Cochran said. "For what it's worth, we were in Copenhagen a month and a half ago and they swim and fish in their harbor in downtown Copenhagen."
But this isn't Copenhagen. This is Baltimore.
"I've been alive for 25 years," Charles Lucas said. "Ain't nobody swimming in this water, brother."
The Randallstown resident said he wouldn't dip a toe in the harbor.
For more than a decade, the Healthy Harbor Initiative has championed the goal of a swimmable and fishable Baltimore harbor.
The 2023 Healthy Harbor Report Card indicates that the organization has achieved that goal.
Bacteria data from 2022 shows that the Inner Harbor scored 85% and is significantly improving. Since the completion of Baltimore's sewer system upgrade in 2021, Baltimore's waterways have seen a reduction in sewage overflow. According to the 2023 Healthy Harbor Report, sewage overflows are down 97% since 2018 and more than 2,500 tons of trash was collected by trash wheels in 2023.
In September, members of the Healthy Harbor Initiative jumped into the harbor waters. Now, there are plans for a swimming event in 2024.
"Overcoming the stigma is just as hard as cleaning up the pollution," Adam Linquist, the vice president of Healthy Harbor Initiative, said. "What I've got to say to folks who are skeptical is we are going to lead by example. I jumped into the harbor in September and I'm going to do it again next year."
Healthy Harbor Initiative does not recommend that anyone swim in the harbor unless they are participating in a coordinated event with professional safety support, like Harbor Splash 2024.
An exact date for Harbor Splash 2024 has not been set yet.