Parisians Allowed to Swim in the Seine for the First Time in 100 Years

Paris is entering the final stages of cleaning up its main river, the Seine, marking a historic moment.

According to BBC reports, the Parisian authorities are planning to create three designated swimming areas along the riverbank. Notably, three Olympic and Paralympic disciplines, including triathlon, marathon swimming, and paratriathlon, will take place in the heart of the capital on the Seine.

Pierre Rabadan, the deputy mayor responsible for the Olympic Games, believes that seeing athletes swimming in the Seine without health issues will encourage people to return to the river. The ban on swimming in the Seine was imposed in 1923 due to a severe deterioration in water quality caused by industrial wastewater pouring into the river. However, extensive efforts to cleanse the river have been underway, with a cost of around $1.6 billion.

One factor affecting water quality is the outdated 19th-century drainage infrastructure, where water from kitchens, bathrooms, and sewage from toilets was directed into underground tunnels. During heavy rain, the system becomes overwhelmed, and excess water had to be discharged into the Seine. To address this issue, Paris has decided to construct a massive underground reservoir to store the runoff during intense rainfall.

Samuel Colin-Canivez, the chief engineer in charge of sanitation at Paris City Hall, stated, "The challenge was to eliminate the last few percentage points to officially classify the river as clean." The solution involved building a vast underground reservoir capable of holding the water from 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The excess water will be temporarily stored in the reservoir until it can be purified and processed.

However, the municipality acknowledges that there may be instances where the reservoir overflows. In such cases, some sewage will be discharged into the Seine, and the city will temporarily declare the river unsuitable for swimming.

On a positive note, the efforts have already improved water quality in the Seine significantly. The number of fish species in the river has increased tenfold over the past 60 years. In the 1960s, only three fish species were registered in the city, whereas now there are around 30 to 35 species in the city center.

According to Bill Francois from the Paris Fishing Federation, the return of fish is not the only positive sign; mollusks, water insects, sponges, and crayfish have also returned. He explained, "A layer of the right type of algae forms on the riverbed. The clearer the water, the more algae grows, and then the algae filter the water to make it even clearer - it's a closed cycle."

Bill Francois, who regularly visits the Seine for fishing, believes that the water is now clean enough for swimming. However, he warns about the presence of rats. "As fishermen, we are aware of the risk of leptospirosis (a disease transmitted through rat urine). Some of us get vaccinated annually. And Paris is not lacking in rats, including along the riverbanks."

Overall, the efforts to clean up the Seine have been remarkable, and Parisians are looking forward to enjoying their historic river for swimming and recreational activities after a century-long wait.