On April 17, the countdown to the 2024 Paris Olympics reached 100 days. Next, the preparations for the Paris Olympics will enter the final sprint stage. The bold and innovative Seine River plan for this Olympics has been hotly debated.

Can you really swim in the Seine River?

Recently, French President Macron talked about the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics to be held on the Seine River on July 26, saying that in view of the possible high security risks, the opening ceremony may be abandoned on the Seine River, and other alternative plans are also being studied.

Rendering of the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Paris Olympic Organizing Committee Picture

In addition to the opening ceremony, the Seine River, the "mother river" of Paris, will also serve as the venue for the Olympic triathlon and open water swimming, and it has been announced that it will be open to public swimmers in 2025.

This has a precedent in the 1900 Paris Olympics, where seven swimming events were held on the Seine River. Later, due to industrial sewage, domestic wastewater and some garbage discharge, the pollution of the Seine River became more and more serious. In 1923, the government ordered a ban on swimming in the Seine River. After 100 years, the Seine River will be open for swimming again at the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, the water quality issue has been controversial.

Moss on the banks of the Seine River in Paris, France, on February 14, 2024, local time.

Plastic foam floats in the waters of the Seine River in Paris, France, on February 14, 2024, local time.

A plastic water bottle floats on the surface of the Seine River in Paris, France, on February 14, 2024, local time.

Garbage is rampant in the Seine River in Paris, France, on April 10, 2024, local time.

Ropes and garbage discarded on the banks of the Seine River in Paris, France, on February 14, 2024, local time.

According to reports, the non-governmental organization Surfrider Foundation conducted 14 water quality tests at the venues for triathlons and open water swimming competitions from September last year to March this year. The results of 13 of the tests showed that there were a variety of bacteria in the Seine River, especially E. coli, and its content far exceeded the standards set by the International Swimming Federation.

Local time, April 10, 2024, Seine River, Paris, France.

The Paris City Government then explained that the heavy rainfall in the first quarter of this year was the main factor leading to the deterioration of water quality. Because the sewer system in Paris is old, once the rainfall is too heavy, rainwater will overflow the pipes together with sewage and pour into the Seine River. Tony Estanguet, chairman of the Paris Olympic Committee, also recently said that if rainy weather during the Olympics affects the water quality of the Seine River, the competitions involved will be postponed, or the triathlon will be changed to two.

Local time on April 6, 2024, the banks of the Seine River in Paris, France were flooded.

Local time on April 6, 2024, the Seine River in Paris was flooded and the water level of the Seine River rose.

Local time on April 6, 2024, the Seine River in Paris was flooded and the water level of the Seine River rose.

Cleaning the Seine River has been ongoing

The Seine River cleaning project is large, complex and costly.

The French government has been working hard to improve the water quality of the Seine River in recent years. Over the past decade, the Seine River cleaning project in the Paris area has cost 1.4 billion euros to upgrade sewage and rainwater treatment facilities to improve the water quality of the Seine River and its main tributary, the Marne River.

Local time on May 31, 2023, in Paris, France, technicians are analyzing water samples from the Seine River. IC picture

Local time on April 5, 2023, in Paris, France, senior technicians are analyzing water samples from the Seine River.

In order to ensure the smooth progress of the Olympic Games, Paris has been carrying out large-scale infrastructure renovation, building new rainwater reservoirs and wastewater pipelines; connecting 23,000 homes and 260 houseboats to the sewage treatment system, and no longer discharging sewage directly into the Seine; strengthening the removal of floating garbage and water quality monitoring. At present, the Seine River water quality cleaning project has entered the final stage.

On March 13, 2024, local time, in Paris, France, a giant underground rainwater reservoir is under construction to store rainwater when heavy rains hit.

On March 13, 2024, local time, in Paris, France, a giant underground rainwater reservoir is under construction.

On March 13, 2024, local time, in Paris, France, a giant underground rainwater reservoir is under construction.

On March 13, 2024, local time, in Paris, France, a giant underground rainwater reservoir is under construction.

This giant underground rainwater reservoir is located near the Austerlitz train station on the left bank of the Seine. Its capacity is equivalent to 20 Olympic swimming pools. It will be put into use soon to store rainwater when heavy rains come to prevent the drainage system from being blocked and causing sewage to flow directly into the Seine.

The Paris municipal government issued a statement earlier saying that Parisians have always wanted to swim in the Seine, and this wish is about to come true.

All pictures in this article are from Visual China IC pictures

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