Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo expressed confidence that the water quality in the River Seine will meet Olympic standards this summer. To demonstrate this, she plans to swim in the river, possibly accompanied by President Emmanuel Macron.
The Seine will host the marathon swimming events during the Games and will be part of the Olympic and Paralympic triathlons.
Hidalgo confirmed on Tuesday that she will fulfill her promise to swim in the Seine before the Games, asserting that the water quality will be satisfactory.
Historically, the Seine has been heavily polluted, making it unsafe for swimming and harmful to aquatic life. However, new facilities have been constructed to improve the river’s water quality. A water treatment plant in Champigny-sur-Marne was recently inaugurated, and a large storage basin near Paris’ Austerlitz train station will soon hold wastewater to prevent untreated spills into the river.
Hidalgo has organized an event called “The Big Dive” at the end of June or early July, inviting top officials, including Macron and IOC President Thomas Bach, to swim in the Seine.
Despite concerns raised by an environmental group about the Seine’s water quality, Hidalgo emphasized that recent reports were based on winter tests when swimming activities were minimal. Routine water testing will commence on June 1, and Olympic water quality will be assessed daily at 3 a.m. If pollution levels rise, event rescheduling may occur, or in extreme cases, the triathlon’s swimming section could be canceled.
The cleanup efforts for the Seine amount to 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion), funded by both state and local authorities.
Security remains a top priority for the upcoming Olympic events, with around 30,000 police officers expected to be deployed daily, increasing to 45,000 during the opening ceremony.