The National Park Service has prohibited swimming and wading in Rock Creek and other D.C.-area waterways for years due to concerns about bacteria from the district’s sewer system.
For Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., however, the warning wasn’t enough to spoil a weekend getaway with his grandchildren.
He shared photos of the excursion on social media:
Mother’s Day hike in Dumbarton Oaks Park with Amaryllis, Bobby, Kick, and Jackson, and a swim with my grandchildren, Bobcat and Cassius in Rock Creek. pic.twitter.com/TXowaSMTFY
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) May 11, 2025
Per The Hill:
According to the National Park Service (NPS), “swimming and wading are not allowed due to high bacteria levels.”
Swimming has been illegal in most of D.C.’s waterways since the 1970s, largely because of contamination from the District’s aging sewer system, though there have been recent efforts to roll back the five-decade prohibition, and it is rarely enforced. Several signs posted along Rock Creek warn of the potential dangers, and the NPS advises pet owners to keep animals out of the water, as well.
Health and Human Services didn’t immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment on Kennedy’s swim or concerns about the water’s contamination.
Kennedy’s defiance drew some mixed reactions online:
Look at us. We are the guidance now
pic.twitter.com/2CIQSRzacb
— Rapidsloth (@Rapidsloth_) May 13, 2025
The guy killed a brain worm with sheer old man energy. I think he will be fine.
— ClownPilled
(@ClownpilledT) May 13, 2025
The New York Post also reported on the development:
The post included photographs of the shirtless HHS secretary completely submerged in the creek’s polluted waters.
In one image, RFK Jr. is seen dangling his young grandson over the creek, allowing his toes to touch the water.
The National Park Service warns that while the water in Rock Creek may look clean, cool and inviting, bacteria such as “fecal coliform, Giardia, and other potential waterborne illnesses” may be present.
The NPS notes that because of the “high levels of bacteria and other infectious pathogens,” swimming and wading are not allowed in the creek.
Of course, this isn’t the first time Kennedy has flouted what he deems to be unnecessary or even dangerous government health recommendations, as this recent interview reveals:
What’s your opinion?
