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Government efforts to revive the romantic river.
The Parisian authorities plan to allow the public to swim for free in the Seine River at certain designated locations starting next summer. The Paris 2024 Olympics will therefore be the final crucial test before the river can be revitalized. Recently, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo swam in the Seine to demonstrate that the river has been treated to ensure its suitability for the 2024 Olympics.
The mayor of Paris swam in the Seine River to demonstrate that the river's water quality was safe.
Compared to many other rivers in the world, the Seine River's water is not dirty or polluted; it simply doesn't fully meet France's stringent standards. The problem is that, depending on the weather, the river's water quality can be very poor at times if samples are taken for testing in winter, right after heavy rains.
For the past decade, the French government and local authorities have been working on a plan called Bathing, investing €1.4 billion to clean up the Seine River. The most important component is rebuilding the upstream drainage system, which continues to discharge untreated wastewater into the river. To ensure the success of the Games, since the beginning of June, the authorities have been publishing weekly analysis results of the Seine River's water quality.
By early July, initial results showed a more positive situation, meaning that in the area near the Alexandre III bridge, where the competitions were taking place, the river water met the standards for swimming. The problem was that in the event of heavy rain, a large amount of untreated water, including rainwater and sewage, could flow into the Seine River. To avoid this, water storage facilities were built before the Olympic Games.
The French government is working to "revive" the Seine River in preparation for the 2024 Olympic Games.
French President Emmanuel Macron shared: “Thanks to strong state investment, together with the city of Paris and the Val-de-Marne province, in four years we have achieved what had not been done in 100 years: making the Seine River swimable.”
The Seine River, described by Time magazine as the most romantic river in the world, has inspired countless French writers and poets. Victor Hugo associated the Seine with oblivion and death in his work "Les Misérables." For the French poet Jacques Prévert, the Seine was like a "lucky girl," free from sorrow and melancholy, flowing peacefully amidst the misery of Paris.
The romantic beauty of the Seine River.
French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized France's goal of making the Seine and Marne rivers safe to swim in, thanks to an investment funded half by the state budget. The French leader asserted that this would be one of the "most beautiful legacies that the 2024 Olympic Games will leave for France."
The French president affirmed that the Seine River will be the most beautiful heritage site to go down in the history of the 2024 Olympic Games.
For the competitions to take place, the water quality of the Seine River must meet standards. Of course, the Seine's water quality is not satisfactory to everyone. There have been strong criticisms from Belgian athlete Jolien Vermeylen, who argued that the organizers are "using athletes' health as a test." Many more competitions are scheduled to take place on the Seine River between now and the end of the Olympic Games.
The athletes perform the combined event on the Seine River.
The triathlon relay will take place soon, followed by the 10km swimming competition on August 8th and 9th. The organizers anticipate that if water quality conditions are not satisfactory, the competition on the Seine River will be postponed and held at a different location.
