Latest news with #SeineRiver
Fox News
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Once-polluted Paris river reopens for public swimming after Olympics rush to clean it up
The Seine River in Paris, France, has officially reopened for public swimming. This is the first time the river has been opened to swimmers since 1923, Reuters reported. The July 5 re-opening arrived after a major push to clean up the once-polluted river ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, where events like men's and women's triathlon were set to take place. Last-minute testing considered the water safe for swimmers, although the men's race was postponed for a day due to safety concerns. For the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, each nation was also boated down the river, making the Seine a focal point for Olympians and visitors. Now, the public can swim at three sites along the banks of the river. These sites are available for more than 1,000 swimmers to visit daily until August 31. The first of the swimmers shared their thoughts with Reuters. "Really nice, I'm impressed, surprised," said a 24-year-old Brazilian who lives in Paris. "I never imagined being in the water close to the Eiffel Tower." A 51-year-old woman said, "The water is clean, it's warm, it's clear. There is a bit of algae, but that's normal." The clean-up effort reportedly included investments connecting tens of thousands of homes to the sewer system, upgrading water treatment facilities and constructing rainwater storage reservoirs to prevent sewer overflow during heavy storms. During the swimming season, daily water tests will reportedly be conducted, with green and red flags indicating which areas are open or closed. Outside of Paris, 14 swimming sites will be set up on the Seine and Marne rivers, with a couple already open. Reuters contributed reporting to this article.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Seine closes to swimmers a day after its historic reopening
Parts of the Seine River closed down to swimmers on Sunday due to heavy rainfall, just one day after it reopened to the public for the first time in a century. Swimming in Paris' Seine River has been closed off to members of the public since 1923, but on Saturday morning the river lifted the swimming ban. However, those who missed the inaugural day and planned to head down to the Seine on Sunday would have found its swimming areas shut once again. The Seine stopped swimming over a century ago due to concerns over the levels of water pollution that could make people ill. The day after excited swimmers took to the waters in its three designated areas for public bathing, the celebrations were dampened when red flags flew over the zones. The wet weather raised concerns over water quality in the river, Paris City Hall said. City officials said the Seine would be assessed daily for the presence of the faecal bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Enterococci. Flags will inform bathers every day about the pollution levels, and if it rains, the sites will likely close, Paris city official Pierre Rabadan explained, according to Le Monde. Another site along the Canal St-Martin in eastern Paris was also due to welcome its first swimmers on Sunday but remained closed over the rain, which "compromises water quality', the local town hall said. Eve Plenel, the head of public health at Paris City Hall, told The Telegraph: 'The water goes through a circuit… and if it is not swimmable, we will not open it for the day or until it gets better. 'So it's impossible to open the swim station without being sure the water is absolutely clear and OK and no risk for public health.' As for how often the swimming zones would be closed, Ms Plenel said: 'It obviously depends on the weather.' 'If it rains a lot or there is any localised pollution anywhere on the Seine, then it can affect quality, of course that can happen. 'It's just like any beach in the summer. Sometimes beaches are polluted or closed and this is exactly the same.' Swimmers have been allowed to return to the Seine following a €1.4bn (£1.2bn) cleanup project tied to the Paris Olympics that hosted open water swimmer triathletes in its waters. After improving the water quality for the Games, authorities made a historic decision to reopen the Seine to bathers and constructed two new wooden decks. The idea has been floated since 1988, when then-mayor and future president Jacques Chirac promised to clear up the river within six years. While it took longer than expected, Paris will now join a number of European cities with safe-to-swim waters – so long as the rain holds off.
The Independent
07-07-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Rain blamed as the Seine closes to swimmers (again)
The Seine River in Paris reopened for public swimming on Saturday for the first time in a century, after a ban was imposed in 1923 due to pollution. However, designated swimming areas in the river were closed again on Sunday due to heavy rainfall, which raised concerns about water quality. Paris City Hall confirmed that the river's water quality, including levels of faecal bacteria like will be assessed daily. Officials stated that swimming sites are likely to close if it rains, as wet weather compromises the water quality. The historic reopening was facilitated by a 1.4 billion euro cleanup project, undertaken for the Paris Olympics, which significantly improved the river's water quality.
The Independent
07-07-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Seine closes to swimmers a day after its historic reopening
Parts of the Seine River closed down to swimmers on Sunday due to heavy rainfall, just one day after it reopened to the public for the first time in a century. Swimming in Paris ' Seine River has been closed off to members of the public since 1923, but on Saturday morning the river lifted the swimming ban. However, those who missed the inaugural day and planned to head down to the Seine on Sunday would have found its swimming areas shut once again. The Seine stopped swimming over a century ago due to concerns over the levels of water pollution that could make people ill. The day after excited swimmers took to the waters in its three designated areas for public bathing, the celebrations were dampened when red flags flew over the zones. The wet weather raised concerns over water quality in the river, Paris City Hall said. City officials said the Seine would be assessed daily for the presence of the faecal bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Enterococci. Flags will inform bathers every day about the pollution levels, and if it rains, the sites will likely close, Paris city official Pierre Rabadan explained, according to Le Monde. Another site along the Canal St-Martin in eastern Paris was also due to welcome its first swimmers on Sunday but remained closed over the rain, which "compromises water quality', the local town hall said. Eve Plenel, the head of public health at Paris City Hall, told The Telegraph: 'The water goes through a circuit… and if it is not swimmable, we will not open it for the day or until it gets better. 'So it's impossible to open the swim station without being sure the water is absolutely clear and OK and no risk for public health.' As for how often the swimming zones would be closed, Ms Plenel said: 'It obviously depends on the weather.' 'If it rains a lot or there is any localised pollution anywhere on the Seine, then it can affect quality, of course that can happen. 'It's just like any beach in the summer. Sometimes beaches are polluted or closed and this is exactly the same.' Swimmers have been allowed to return to the Seine following a €1.4bn (£1.2bn) cleanup project tied to the Paris Olympics that hosted open water swimmer triathletes in its waters. After improving the water quality for the Games, authorities made a historic decision to reopen the Seine to bathers and constructed two new wooden decks. The idea has been floated since 1988, when then-mayor and future president Jacques Chirac promised to clear up the river within six years. While it took longer than expected, Paris will now join a number of European cities with safe-to-swim waters – so long as the rain holds off.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Clean enough for a dip? Paris set to reopen the Seine for swimming, but locals aren't so sure
Public swimming in Paris' Seine River is due to make a comeback over a century after it was banned with just a few exceptions. Starting on 5 July, three public swimming sites will open along the Seine River - one near Notre Dame, another by the Eiffel Tower, and a third in eastern Paris. The reopening is part of one of the French capital'ns most ambitious Olympic legacies. At a cost of around $1.5 billion (€1.27bn), the river has undergone a massive cleanup operation to transform it from a polluted, boat-choked artery into a swimmable urban oasis. The sites will be free to use, supervised by lifeguards, and will operate on a daily schedule throughout the summer. A colour-coded flag system - green for safe, red for nope - will let visitors know whether it's swim time or sunbathe-only time. But many Parisians remain hesitant on whether or not to take the plunge. The Seine's surface can still appear murky, litter floats by, and bacteria levels are known to fluctuate with the weather. Dan Angelescu, a scientist and founder of Fluidion, has been independently testing the river's water quality for years. He warns that the current official testing methods may not accurately reflect the real-time risks: "What we see is that the water quality in the Seine is highly variable and it is, there are only a few days in a swimming season where I would say water quality is acceptable for swimming, according to the regulations currently in place." "All we can say is that we can raise a hand and say look, the science today does not support the current assessment of water safety used in the in the rivers around Paris, and we think that there is major risk that is not being captured at all." But with over 35 species of fish now calling the Seine home - compared to just a handful in the 1970s - it's clear the cleanup has had an impact. But whether Parisians will follow the fish into the water remains to be seen. Check out the video above for more on the Seine swimming initiative.
