There’s no bones about it: Gowanus Canal is high up on the nasty and polluted list. But, could another NYC canal be even gnarlier? Why yes, it is totally possible. And, it’s true.
Enter Newtown Creek, which has been dubbed the more disgusting sewage-laden waters. Clean water activist Christopher Swain bestowed the gross award to Newtown Creek, stating that the waters were way more contaminated that its Gowanus counterpart.
Swain spoke to The Brooklyn Daily Eagle: “Newton Creek was by far the worst waterway that I’ve ever been in. I mean just layers of sewage and oil slick…It was the most polluted and visibly polluted waterway that I’ve ever been in.”
Talk about nasty.
Newtown Creek and Gowanus Canal have been designated as superfund sites for several years. In 2015, Swain swam in the creek and discovered a myriad of pollutants. “My goggles leaked, and my left eye got really swollen. I eventually got a sty on my eyelid…from the gas and oil on the water. You can still see it a little bit. Almost two years later, it’s almost gone.” Yikes.
Congrats, Newtown Creek, you’re the grossest of them all. No word on whether Swain has developed mutant super powers from swimming in the treacherous and polluted waters.
[H/t via The Brooklyn Daily Eagle]