The filthiest waterway in Brooklyn isn’t the Gowanus Canal — it is Newtown Creek! So says the only man who could possibly know for sure: Christopher Swain, the one person in history to successfully swim both toxin-filled inlets.
http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/39/1/dtg-newtown-creek-swim-complete-2015-01-01-bk.html
https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20151223/greenpoint/scents-of-human-waste-cinnamon-toast-assault-newtown-creek-swimmer
The Society for Estuary Waste Education and Research, or S.E.W.E.R. for short, is an organization of scientists and volunteers focused on the study and clean up of New York’s estuaries and waterways, including Newtown Creek; one of the most polluted waterways in the country.