To swim or not to swim, that is the question;

Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The stomach upset and ear aches of dirty water

Or to take up the fight for effective alert programs...

Please excuse my butchering of the famous line from Hamlet, but this came immediately to mind after reading Sunday's Washington Post article about the safety of the Potomac River. The piece clearly illustrated how confusing it can be to figure out whether or not your river is safe for swimming, summed up well in the opening line, which reads:

Is it safe to swim in the Potomac River? No. Yes. Probably. Usually. Never.

Well, that's really helpful. It turns out that three local governments all have different answers. And despite the fact that Washington D.C. bans swimming in the Potomac, they've made a legislative exception for the upcoming triathlon. As part of the proceedings, one council member said, "it never entered my mind that anyone would swim in the Potomac."

But it really shouldn't be so hard for people who swim, boat and play in the water to know when it's safe to take a dip. Passing right to know legislation is key to solving this problem by requiring sewer treatment plants to notify the public when there is a spill that could affect public health. Already there are 24 Members of Congress signed on to the Right to Know bill. But we need more so act now to create a clear answer to the question to swim or not to swim.