How a predominantly African American community in the Nation's Capital faces unfair access to water. The majority of the Earth's surface is covered by water. So it sucks when you can't enjoy it in every form or capacity. Unfortunately, water impacts communities in many different ways. Most notably, there has been a water crisis in Flint, Michigan, for over 10 years. The National Resources Defense Council says, "Inadequate treatment and testing of the water followed, resulting in a series of major water quality and health issues for Flint residents—issues that were chronically ignored and overlooked." In other words, despite years of complaints and threats to the health of the citizens of Flint, they still have yet to be assisted.
Being in a city where nearly 42% of the population is African American, it seems unfair that our water and waterways have seemingly forever been polluted. To put it in plain words, the water in Washington, D.C., is not safe and accessible for everyone. Every time you are near a body of water, whether it be the Potomac, Rock Creek, or the Anacostia, there tends to be a foul smell. I was once walking along a boardwalk near the Anacostia River, where I saw a man fishing, which is a sight I have never seen, living all my life in DC. As the man's hook bent forward, I thought he caught a fish, and I was so excited. I fully believed that the water was too dirty for fish to inhabit it. So as the man reeled his catch in, everyone watching slowly began to realize that it was not a fish; it was an old rusty bike. An old rusty bike should never have been in a river. This is a testament to show that this river is really polluted.
Other than the pollution, the Anacostia is the river that flows through the part of DC where mainly people of color live, where I live. To make matters worse, the Anacostia River is by far the most polluted waterway in the DC area. According to the Anacostia Watershed Society, "Many Anacostia watershed residents know of the Combined Sewer Overflow problem in DC. The sewer system in DC was designed to overflow into the river when a rain event exceeds approximately a half inch." According to Clean Water Action, the Anacostia is one of the most polluted rivers stemming from the Chesapeake Bay. As D.C. has grown, the Anacostia watershed has become more polluted. Filled with trash, sewage, sediment, and other pollutants, the Anacostia River is a far cry from its sister river, the Potomac.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimated that around 20,000 tons of trash are dumped into the Anacostia each year. The Potomac River has received a "B" in a river health grade, while the Anacostia River has received an "F." This is unfair to both the wildlife that inhabits this watershed as well as to the people who live in this area. I hope there is a day when I can walk on that same boardwalk and see a man pull out a fish rather than a bike.