(waves rush) (ominous music)

(metal rattles)

- Every waterway in the United States

is supposed to be safe enough to swim in

every single day; but, of course, they're not.

(dramatic music)

I am getting into these contaminated waterways.

Someone's gotta risk something.

If people see that image, they start to ask themselves,

why is that guy in there?

That starts a discussion that can lead to a clean up.

(dramatic music)

(bright music)

My name's Christopher Swain, and I've swum

over 3,000 miles in over 25 different contaminated waterways

in North America. I wanna advocate for these waterways,

and I can energize clean-ups. (bright music)

I learned to swim as a kid.

I was the kid who didn't wanna get out of the water.

(bright music)

As I got older, and I think this is true for many of us,

I started to become aware that waters are contaminated

with everything from arsenic to zinc,

everything from human waste to nuclear waste.

We saw our waterways as dumpsters.

We saw them as sewers; legally speaking,

since 1972 when the Federal Clean Water Act passed,

all navigable U.S. waterways have to be safe for swimming

and fishing and drinking; if they're a fresh water creek.

(bright music)

Dozens and dozens of those waterways were in

and around New York City.

Newtown Creek is the worst of those.

It is contaminated with lots of things: heavy metals,

toxic chemicals, raw sewage,

and one of the largest ongoing oil spills

in the history of the United States.

So, in some way, we stole this waterway from ourselves.

What I'm saying is let's turn that around.

(bright music)

(upbeat music)

When I decide to take on a waterway,

this is my

puncture-resistant dry suit.

I take all these measures on all my swims

to protect my body and to protect my health.

I wear a cap; I wear goggles; I wear ear plugs;

I never put my head under, even so,

I've gotten sick lots of times.

Rashes, skin infections, ear infections,

respiratory infections. (upbeat music)

It's a hazard that goes with the territory.

(upbeat music) The reason nobody

has swum the length of Newtown Creek in history

is that at least in the last 100 years,

it's been far too disgusting.

No one in their right mind would go in there.

(upbeat music)

(dramatic music)

It's like swimming through a dirty diaper

that's been garnished with oil, gasoline, and trash.

Every part of your skin wants to crawl.

So why do I push on and do it?

I'm doing this out of love, like I really do love the water,

and I don't have a lot to work with.

I'm not a wealthy person; I'm not a scientist.

What I've got is my body and my life to offer.

I'm gonna keep going back in my dry suit

and my hazmat gear until these waterways are clean;

and when they're clean, I'm gonna get

into these clean waterways in my bathing suit

and enjoy them with my fellow citizens.

(upbeat music)

(bright music)