Concerns Over Seine River Water Quality Ahead of Paris Olympics
- Parisians may not want to swim in the Seine river next year.
- Preparing the Seine for public swimming is proving to be very challenging.
- The feasibility of allowing public access to the Seine for swimming remains uncertain.
As Paris prepares for the upcoming Olympics, doubts linger regarding the safety of the Seine River for swimming. Experts, including Jean-Marie Mouchel from Sorbonne University, question the reliability of current testing methods, citing four years of concerning pollution data. Despite the city’s efforts to enhance water quality monitoring, recent floods, particularly in the Marne River, have raised alarms about the adequacy of these measures. The city plans to permit swimming only during the summer months, potentially overlooking critical data from winter periods when heavy rainfall could exacerbate pollution levels. Mouchel highlights the ambiguity in EU regulations regarding the exclusion of data from times when swimming is prohibited, complicating the assessment of water safety. Dan Angelescu, CEO of Fluidion, emphasizes that existing testing methods may not accurately reflect the true risk of swimming in the Seine. He notes that the current approach could present an overly optimistic view of water quality, particularly in detecting harmful E. coli levels associated with fecal contamination. While he understands the city’s adherence to approved methods, he warns that these techniques may not be sufficient for a river as complex as the Seine. Ultimately, the challenge of determining the river's cleanliness for swimming is multifaceted, with no perfect testing method available. Angelescu remains hopeful, stating that he will swim in the Seine once the data confirms its safety.