Pollution levels in the River Seine have been deemed “alarming” by a French water charity, just over a hundred days before it hosts a series of Olympic swimming events at the Paris Games.
In addition to hosting part of the opening ceremony, the river that runs through the center of the French capital will host the marathon swimming events and the triathlon.
But the site’s suitability has been questioned by the Surfrider Foundation, which took 14 samples of the Seine over the past six months and found the water to be potentially dangerous in all but one of its tests.
Sharing an open letter with its stakeholders, the charity highlighted that they had “growing concerns about the quality of the Seine” as well as “the risks faced by athletes moving in contaminated waters”.
Surfrider carried out its tests at the Eau de Paris laboratory together with the environmental analysis group Analyco-Co between September 2023 and March, and concentrated on the area where the sports will take place: under the two bridges Alexandre III and Pont l’Alma. .
A French water charity has found “alarming” levels of bacteria in all but one of 14 samples taken from the Seine over the past six months.
After suffering one of the wettest winters in 30 years, there are concerns about the impact on the city’s sewage infrastructure (pictured last weekend’s flooding)
President Emmanuel Macron is confident that events will move forward and has promised to tread water
Measurements of E. coli and enterococci, bacteria that indicate the presence of fecal matter and can cause serious illness, doubled and sometimes tripled the maximum allowable amounts.
French authorities have been working hard to ensure that making the Seine swimmable is one of the lasting legacies of this summer’s Olympic Games, as swimming in the river has been banned since 1923.
More than £1.2bn (€1.4bn) has been spent over the last decade upgrading the capital’s wastewater and stormwater treatment facilities in the region, with a major new facility due to open in April of rainwater.
The city’s sewage system can be overwhelmed by heavy rain, which can cause untreated effluent to flow into the river, and those who wish to oppose Surfrider’s findings have emphasized that the samples were taken in the middle of one of the coldest winters. wet in 30 years.
Paris state official Marc Guillaume said Surfrider had “very little knowledge of this issue” and added: “There is no point in testing today in the Seine and comparing it with what will happen next summer.”
“It has never been considered opening the Seine to swimming all year round,” Guillaume continues.
Two test events were held on the river last August, but many others were canceled after testing.
Surfrider found up to three times the permitted amount of bacteria of concern present in some samples (pictured tests conducted in August 2023)
The French government’s confidence in the project is such that Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and President Emmanuel Macron have committed to swimming in the river before the opening of the games.
But if problems with pollution levels in the water persist, events could be put in jeopardy, with no plan B being able to be organised, even in the event of bad weather.
“We will remain in this extraordinary place, no matter what,” said Tony Estanguet, head of the Paris 2024 organizing committee, a former canoeing champion. “We want to preserve this ambition.”
Olympic organizers have only been given permission to delay the events by a few days in case these problems arise.
Last summer, planned men’s and women’s triathlons held on the river were held to test the waters, but the paratriathlon events and mixed relay races were canceled after high levels of E. coli bacteria were detected. .
Weeks earlier, in July 2023, the 2023 Open Water Swimming World Cup had been canceled due to high levels of pollution.
The blame fell on heavy rains and a faulty sewer valve that caused water contamination.
Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet said the events “will remain in this extraordinary place no matter what.”
Last month the regatta was held on the River Thames, where high levels of E.coli were found.
Last month, the annual regatta on the River Thames was marred by contaminated water, with Oxford captain Lenny Jenkins citing E. coli in the water as one of the factors in its defeat at the hands of Cambridge.
Organizers had warned competitors in advance to cover any cuts and “be careful not to swallow river water” after testing on the Hammersmith Bridge leg of the race indicated an average of 2,869 colony-forming units (CFUs). ) of E. coli per 100 ml of water. .
To meet the Environment Agency’s inland bathing water quality standards, the level must be less than 1,000 CFU per 100ml.
River Action said the highest level it recorded was 9,801 CFU per 100ml, meaning it was almost 10 times higher than levels found in bathing water classed as “poor” by Environment Agency standards.