ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Legendary British endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh arrived at the midpoint of his swim along the Hudson River on Tuesday. He will be swimming a total of 315 miles.

He said he is taking on the challenge to raise awareness about the importance of keeping our waters clean and healthy.

“You get the environment that you pay for,” he said. “When you invest in the environment and when you spend money protecting the environment, you have clean water, you have clean air, you have a habitable planet, and this is what has been shown here in the Hudson River.”

Pugh is expected to finish his swim September 13 in Manhattan. If successful, he will be the first person to swim the full length of the Hudson River unassisted.