Really.” Swimming in D.C.’s waters has been illegal since 1971, due to the high levels of bacteria from human fecal matter. There’s currently a “small geyser” of poop water flooding into the Potomac, thanks to last week’s collapse of a sewer line carrying wastewater from Virginia and Maryland. Drinking water isn’t affected, but it’s still super gross. And the “small geyser” isn’t THAT small. A water sample taken near the site of the rupture found high levels of E. coli, about 12,000 TIMES HIGHER than the recommended limit for human contact.