Fans of the singer Lorde expressed concern after she said at a concert Monday that she swam in the Potomac River while visiting Washington, D.C.
Before singing her song “Liability" at The Anthem, Lorde told the audience she likes to swim in the water of cities where she performs. A woman in the band who's from Maryland took her in the river, she said.
“I was lying in the Potomac River,” Lorde can be heard saying in a video of the moment that Twitter user @whyets posted.
People can be heard saying, "Eww!" and "Swim in the river?!”
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Lorde's comment led to online jokes and memes.
"Lorde just told the crowd at the Anthem that she swam??? In the Potomac???" @_NatalieEscobar tweeted.
"Wildest part of the Lorde concert thus far: she's talking about swimming in the Potomac river today. Lorde, I love you but noo it's so contaminated!!!!" @victoriaregisk tweeted.
It wasn't clear where exactly she swam in D.C., Maryland or Virginia.
Bacteria such as E.coli is a concern when swimming in the river, according to the Potomac River Conservancy. It can come from sewage overflowing from stormwater systems overwhelmed during heavy rain.
The river is also vulnerable to polluted stormwater that includes excess nutrients, fertilizers and debris, according to the Potomac Report Card. In the 2020 report card, the river received a which means it is still unsafe for swimming. The grade is higher than its D score of 10 years ago.
At least nine people have drowned in the D.C. portion of the Potomac this year. Due to the dangers of currents, swimming in the Potomac River is illegal, News4 reported in July.
The Potomac Riverkeeper Network, an environmental group has been pressuring D.C.'s mayor to lift the swimming ban. The group conducts its own testing of the river's water quality. The D.C. Department of Energy and Environment has said officials are working on a plan to lift the ban, but have not given a timeline.
After the comment left people questioning, in a tweeted video, Lorde told fans outside the concert that all is well.
"Now I know why you were laughing. I’m happy to be a D.C. meme, you know,” she said
The pop star is on her Solar Power world tour. She is touring for her third studio album, released in summer 2021. The album is a celebration of the natural world and her feelings about the outdoors, Rolling Stone reported.
Lorde will get another chance to swim in the river, if she chooses, when she returns to the region to perform at the All Things Go Music Festival on Oct. 1 in Columbia, Maryland.
