By 1967, the seriousness of the pollution caused by the dumping of human and industrial waste into the river was increasing daily; an indication of the seriousness of the situation was the cancellation that year by the city government of the dragon-boat races held yearly on the river.
到了一九六七年，因工業廢水與家庭廢水的汙染日益嚴重，愛河惡臭四起，從此高雄市政府便停止在愛河舉行每年端午的龍舟大賽。