Paris is aiming to improve the quality of the River Seine in time for the upcoming Olympics, with the ultimate goal of making it suitable for bathing by 2025. The current water quality already allows for bathing two days out of three on average in the summer. However, Paris is pushing for further improvements as the Games approach, as some events were cancelled last summer due to health standards not being met after rare heavy rains and a sewer problem.
Pauline Lavaud, the Paris mayor’s advisor on energy and climate transition, water, and maintenance of public spaces, explained that the city has been tackling the issue by constructing a storage basin capable of holding 46,000 cubic metres of waste water to reduce the risks of pollution of the Seine.
The water will be tested daily during the Olympics to ensure it is safe for athletes and triathletes to swim in. The rainwater collected in the Austerlitz basin will be evacuated through a tunnel for treatment and then poured into the Seine once it meets health criteria.
Lavaud emphasized that the Olympics provided a significant boost, allowing the city to gain 10 years on their project of making the Seine bathable. Paris officials are also looking to increase controls as the Games approach, including requiring all boats to be linked to the sewage system and potentially making water quality data accessible to the public.
Benjamin Raigneau, the city’s Cleanliness and Water director, noted that the biodiversity in the Seine has improved substantially, with the number of fish species growing from two in the 1980s to over 30 now.
Despite the progress, concerns remain about the potential impact of weather on the water quality during the Olympic events. Lavaud explained that if it is not possible to swim due to adverse weather conditions, the events can be postponed. The city is also working to ensure transparency and address any potential risks.
The Austerlitz basin project, led by Samuel Colin-Canivez, is set to be completed in April next year, with a budget of 1.4 billion euros. Despite the challenges, the city is dedicated to achieving its goal of making the Seine suitable for bathing and ensuring the success of the upcoming Olympic events.
($1 = 0.9162 euros)
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
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