The Seine is cleaned up for the Paris Olympics: is it safe to swim?
The Seine is cleaned up for the Paris Olympics: is it safe to swim?
As the 2024 Paris Olympics approach, the Seine River, which runs through the center of Paris, is in the spotlight. On July 17, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a dip in the Seine herself to demonstrate that the river's water quality has improved enough to swim in. She was joined by Tony Estange, President of the Paris Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games, on the banks of the “Bramari” near the touristy Marais district, an important step to showcase the Seine's improved water quality in preparation for the Games.
Improving Seine water quality
The city of Paris has long been working to improve the water quality of the Seine, but in the run-up to the Olympics, the issue became even more important. Mayor Hidalgo was originally scheduled to receive the water on the 23rd of last month, but the date was postponed after E. coli levels were measured 10 times higher than the approved standard and heavy rains sped up the flow rate. However, steady water purification work and favorable weather have improved the water quality to swimmable standards since late last month.
“The water quality in the Seine is now perfect,” said Commissioner Tony Estange. The Seine will host the swimming events during the triathlon and the open water swimming event, dubbed the 'swimming marathon', which is one of the major highlights of the Paris Games and is highly anticipated.
Past water quality problems and improvements
The Seine's water quality has long been a major problem for Paris. In the 1960s and 1970s, severe pollution left the river water brown and foul-smelling. Industrialization and urbanization caused sewage and wastewater to flow indiscriminately into the Seine, which took a toll on the river's ecosystem. Swimming in the Seine was unthinkable at the time.
However, in the 1990s, the city of Paris began to take active steps to improve the Seine's water quality. Key strategies included the expansion and modernization of sewage treatment facilities, crackdowns on illegal wastewater discharges, and ecological restoration projects. In the early 2000s, water quality in the Seine gradually began to improve, and by the mid-2010s, noticeable improvements were seen.
Most notably, in 2018, the French government and the city of Paris jointly announced the Seine Project, which aims to further improve the river's water quality in the run-up to the Olympics. The project includes further improvements to sewage treatment facilities, enhanced management of non-point source pollution, and increased civic engagement in environmental protection.
Citizen reaction and controversy
However, not all citizens agree with Mayor Hidalgo and Commissioner Estange's claims: some Parisians remain skeptical of the Seine's water quality. “I wouldn't swim in the Seine if you paid me to,” said one citizen, expressing a strong distrust. In addition, opponents of the Olympics have organized a campaign to dump sewage into the Seine.
Violent protests were predicted for June 23, the day Mayor Hidalgo was scheduled to be inaugurated, and a widely shared photoshopped image of President Macron swimming in the Seine with rats and standing in his underwear covered in filth caused controversy.
The Olympics and the future of Paris
For the Paris Olympics to be a success, the Seine's water quality must be maintained, which is not just a matter of the Olympic Games, but of the city's environment and the health of its citizens. Even after the Games, Paris needs to continue its efforts to maintain and improve the Seine's water quality.
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