The town of Sèvres, in the Hauts-de-Seine department of Paris, is planning to offer a bathing site in the Seine by 2028, following in the footsteps of the Parisian success story. The project would join the three Parisian sites that have been accessible since summer 2025(Bercy, Bras Marie and Bras de Grenelle), positioning Sèvres as a potential candidate for a permanent Seine bathing site.
Mayor Grégoire de la Roncière, who is also the department's vice-president in charge of water and sanitation, is keen to draw inspiration from Paris's sanitation work to make the water cleaner. But he is keen to point out that thereare still several stages to go before bathers will be able to swim in the Seine. The project should be financed by the Département, but nothing has yet been definitively agreed.
This bathing facility would contribute to the adaptation of the Sevrierian territory to climate change, particularly during heat waves, and the Hauts-de-Seine department has included this type of project in its 2030 agenda.
Unsurprisingly, all eyes are on theIle de Monsieur, a site already known for hosting a number of water sports activities. This former industrial wasteland has been transformed into a park dedicated to water-based leisure activities on the Seine, and is already home to numerous clubs in various disciplines: rowing, canoeing, sailing, canoeing and Venetian rowing.
The Ile de Monsieur is also a large nature park that promotes flora and fauna, with some rare and protected plants such as the pyramidal orchid. The site is easily accessible by metro line 9 to Pont-de-Sèvres and tramway T2 to Musée-de-Sèvres.
The project involves a number of stages before bathers can swim in the Seine. TheARS (Agence Régionale de Santé) requires conclusive sampling over three consecutive summers before issuing its authorization. Rigorous monitoring of water quality is currently in place, with corrective measures for those involved.
Houseboats in the area will have to be connected to the sewage system, or their owners invited to switch to dry toilets. Consultation with river users, including sports clubs and barge owners, will help determine the optimum bathing area.
The Hauts-de-Seine department is expected to finance the development project, but no firm commitment has yet been made. The future Sèvres site would already benefit from the support of potential partners such as theAgence de l'eau Seine-Normandie. This initiative is part of the proactive action program launched in 2005 to improve water quality and reclaim the banks of the Seine.
Swimming at Sèvres could be possible by 2030, with the following essential stages: consultation with future users, action to eliminate pollutants, work on the sewage system and development of the site. This project would mark the town's reconciliation with its river, from which it was cut off with the creation of the RN118 in the early 1970s.
All that remains now is to turn this ambition into reality, as part of the post-Olympic drive to reclaim the region's waterways. But it will take several years of study and investment to get from intention to reality. So, are you for it or against it?
Location
Parc Nautique de l'Ile de Monsieur
4 Rue de Saint-Cloud
92310 Sevres
