Seine Swimming Events Impacted by Heavy Rains Ahead of Paris Olympics
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo's plan for a swimming event in the Seine initially set for Sunday, June 23, is expected to be postponed due to an increased water flow resulting from heavy rainfall in May. The potential new date for the event is Sunday, June 30. The decision comes as the Seine is set to play a major role in the upcoming Olympic Games, hosting the opening ceremony and events like the triathlon, swimming-marathon, and para-triathlon.
Paris Police Chief Laurent Nuñez and regional prefect Marc Guillaume were among the notable invitees for the dive, with hopes also for President Emmanuel Macron to attend. The postponement not only hampers this symbolic dive but also affects the French open water swimming team's planned training session in the Seine, which was set for Monday, June 10.
Stéphane Lecat, the national technical director of open water swimming, pointed out that the strong currents make it unsafe for swimming. However, he remains confident about future swim sessions as ongoing daily water samples and the newly commissioned Austerlitz rainwater and wastewater retention basin aim to mitigate water contamination risks.
Despite significant efforts and ongoing infrastructure projects like the Austerlitz basin, which can hold up to 50,000 m3 of water, concerns about water quality linger. The summer rainfall since November and lack of sunlight, which naturally kills bacteria, pose additional risks. Notably, previous test events in August were largely canceled because the water quality did not meet European standards, particularly due to the presence of Escherichia coli and enterococci bacteria.
Should similar conditions arise, organizers plan to postpone events for a few days but have ruled out changing the venue. The long-term goal remains to make the Seine safe for public swimming by summer 2025, with plans for three public swimming areas: Bras Marie, Quai de Bercy, and Bras de Grenelle, near the Eiffel Tower. The city administration has allocated 1.4 billion euros towards these ambitious projects.
- Despite the current setbacks, efforts continue to purify the Seine's water and ensure it is fit for both the Olympic athletes and the general public by 2025. The retention basin at Austerlitz marks a significant milestone in these efforts, but close monitoring will continue.
- Next week, a presentation of water quality results and methodologies is expected, shedding more light on the steps needed to meet the European water quality standards.
- The high water flow observed in early June, four to five times faster than anticipated, underscores the challenges ahead.
- With less than eight weeks before the Olympic Games, organizers are under pressure to ensure the safety and feasibility of the scheduled water events, leveraging both infrastructure improvements and rigorous testing.
