The Seine has been in the news a lot lately... It's at the heart of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games: from the opening ceremony to the swimming events, the Parisian river is set to host several important elements of this global event.
In preparation for these events, a majorclean-up operation is underway on theSeine. To ensure the safety of swimmers, the river is being cleaned, but with great difficulty. One year ahead of the Games, the Seine is still considered too dangerous and polluted. Test swimming events, scheduled for early August 2023, have been cancelled due to poor water quality. The possibility of swimming in the Seine therefore remains theoretical for the time being.
Paris 2024: marathon swimming test event cancelled due to Seine pollution
This weekend, a test event of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, that of marathon swimming, was due to be tested in the Seine. But at the last minute, due to rain this week and pollution in the river, it had to be cancelled! [Read more]
But why is it currently impossible to swim in the Seine? What are the risks involved? Swimming in the Seine has been officially banned by the French government since 1923. Back in 1988, Jacques Chirac, then Mayor of Paris, launched the idea of cleaning up the river, so that Parisians could once again swim in its waters. " (...) That's why I've said that a river can be made clean, and I've also said that in three years' time, I'll go swimming in the Seine in front of witnesses to prove that the Seine has become a clean river ", he promised at the time, as recalled by France Info.
35 years later, the Seine remains highly polluted, and is still off-limits to bathers. A 15-euro fine awaits offenders... As well as a number of health problems.
The reason the Paris river is off-limits to bathers is to protect the health of its inhabitants. Many diseases can be caught in these waters. Bacteria present in the Seine cause gastro-enteritis and urinary tract infections. There's also leptospirosis, a disease transmitted by the urine and corpses of rodents, often found in sewers. Faecal matter, pesticides, nitrates, waste poured into the Seine: a whole cocktail of pollutants turns the river into a nest of bacteria.
What's more, the Seine is a busy waterway, used by tourist boats as well as commercial and construction vessels. Swimming is therefore dangerous in more ways than one.
However, the authorities remain hopeful that the Seine will soon be cleaned up." The Plan Baignade aims to improve water quality in the Seine and Marne rivers, enhance biodiversity and make bathing possible. It will have eliminated 75% of the river's bacteriological pollution by the time of the Games ", assures the website of the Île-de-France prefecture. In the meantime, you can still swim laps in the region's pools.
Nobody wants to set foot in the Seine, let alone swim in it today! Bathing has been banned for a century, but Paris City Hall wants to make it possible by 2025, after the Olympic Games. [Read more]
The heat is on, and you are looking for a pool (with beach or deckchairs if possible) or a body of water to swim for free? To feel like you're on vacation without paying a cent, discover the great spots where it's good to bring family and friends in Paris and Ile de France. [Read more]
Paris 2024: marathon swimming test event cancelled due to Seine pollution
When will we be able to swim in the Seine? By 2025, according to the City of Paris!
Free swimming pools and baths in Paris and the Ile-de-France region for summer 2023
