Seine swimming spots close one day after 102-year ban is lifted
Heavy downpours overnight potentially washed sewage and other waste into the river, forcing the authorities to put up red flags at the designated zones: Bras Marie in the centre, Bras de Grenelle to the west and Bercy in the east.
The ban came a day after the swimming spots were opened to the public after a 102-year ban on bathing in the river. The sites will remain closed until at least Monday, the council said.
Another site along the Canal St-Martin, on the northeastern side of the city, was set to open on Sunday but remained closed. Officials said the downpour 'compromises water quality'.
About 3,000 Parisians and visitors rushed for a dip on Saturday after decades of clean-up operations, which were accelerated by the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Triathlon and open-water swimming events were held in the river last summer, but heavy rain led to six of the 11 races being cancelled.
Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, has claimed the reopening as a key legacy of the Olympics. The council had been striving to lift the swimming ban since 1988, when Jacques Chirac, then the mayor of Paris who became president, promised to clean it, predicting that he would one day swim in it. Chirac, who served 12 years as president and died in 2019, never did.
After the temporary closure on Sunday, Ariel Weil, mayor of the central Paris district, which comprises the first four arrondissements, posted on X: 'These are unfortunately the hazards of open water swimming. We'll see you on the Seine as soon as the weather is better.'
Mockery of the closures also appeared on social media, mainly citing the €1.4 billion spent on improving the water quality of the river in the years before the games.
Despite widespread doubts, the authorities said the water quality met European standards, and that levels of E. coli, enterococci and other bacteria were well below dangerous thresholds on most days. They had warned that sites would be closed if rain threatened sewage overflow.
• Seine failed water standards eight days out of ten
As well as the Paris swimming zones, 14 areas are open for bathing outside central Paris on the Seine and Marne rivers.
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Rain has forced the closure of all three swimming sites on the River Seine in Paris. Heavy downpours overnight potentially washed sewage and other waste into the river, forcing the authorities to put up red flags at the designated zones: Bras Marie in the centre, Bras de Grenelle to the west and Bercy in the east. The ban came a day after the swimming spots were opened to the public after a 102-year ban on bathing in the river. The sites will remain closed until at least Monday, the council said. Another site along the Canal St-Martin, on the northeastern side of the city, was set to open on Sunday but remained closed. Officials said the downpour 'compromises water quality'. About 3,000 Parisians and visitors rushed for a dip on Saturday after decades of clean-up operations, which were accelerated by the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Triathlon and open-water swimming events were held in the river last summer, but heavy rain led to six of the 11 races being cancelled. Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, has claimed the reopening as a key legacy of the Olympics. The council had been striving to lift the swimming ban since 1988, when Jacques Chirac, then the mayor of Paris who became president, promised to clean it, predicting that he would one day swim in it. Chirac, who served 12 years as president and died in 2019, never did. After the temporary closure on Sunday, Ariel Weil, mayor of the central Paris district, which comprises the first four arrondissements, posted on X: 'These are unfortunately the hazards of open water swimming. We'll see you on the Seine as soon as the weather is better.' Mockery of the closures also appeared on social media, mainly citing the €1.4 billion spent on improving the water quality of the river in the years before the games. Despite widespread doubts, the authorities said the water quality met European standards, and that levels of E. coli, enterococci and other bacteria were well below dangerous thresholds on most days. They had warned that sites would be closed if rain threatened sewage overflow. • Seine failed water standards eight days out of ten As well as the Paris swimming zones, 14 areas are open for bathing outside central Paris on the Seine and Marne rivers.
