Dive into the Seine: Paris's Refreshing Swimming Spots Coming Soon!
Enjoying a Dip in the Seine: Paris Provides Three Swimming Locations in July - Enjoying a Dip in the Seine: Paris Offers Three Swimming Locations in July
Embrace the Parisian lifestyle and take a dip in the Seine! The dream of swim-worthy waters has been a reality in the making for years. Lauded Mayor, Anne Hidalgo, was one of the first to dive into the river last year, and from July 5, Parisians can swim in three supervised spots across the city.
However, it's important to note that swimming will be temporarily suspended if the current is too powerful or water quality becomes poor following rainfall, according to Marc Guillaume, Prefect of the Ile-de-France region. Daily water testing will ensure the safety of the swimming venues. In previous Olympic Games, competitions were delayed due to water contamination following heavy rain.
Don't forget the Seine's colorful history - it was once infamously known as "Paris's toilet" because of the 23,000 households that discharged their wastewater directly into the river. To prepare for the Olympics, around $1.5 billion was invested in the Seine's cleanup. Last year, an additional 2,000 households were connected to the sewage system, and efforts are ongoing to remind pleasure and houseboat operators to follow the rules and refrain from discharging wastewater into the river.
A massive overflow basin was built near the Austerlitz train station to prevent the sewage system from flooding during heavy rain. This basin, able to hold up to 50,000 cubic meters of water, is equivalent to 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools!
Swimming competitions were held in the Seine during the 1900 Summer Olympics, but outside the city. At that time, floating bathhouses in Paris were also supplied with water from the Seine, although swimming in the Seine has been banned since 1923 due to pollution.
*Paris*Swimming spot*Cleanup operation*Anne Hidalgo*Competition*Olympic Games*Rain
After Anne Hidalgo, the Mayor of Paris, took the lead by diving into the river last year, Parisians can now also enjoy swimming in three supervised spots across the city starting from July 5. The Olympic Games have faced delays due to water contamination following heavy rain, thus daily water testing will ensure the safety of the swimming venues.
