People have been living along the Seine River in Paris for over 3,000 years, and during that time, they’ve dumped trash, human waste, and other unwanted materials into the river. Even Joan of Arc’s ashes were reportedly placed there after she was burned at the stake in 1431.
Given its history, it’s no surprise that the Seine River is no longer pristine. However, concerns about water quality, which forced a one-day delay for the men’s triathlon, have lifted. A new worry has emerged ahead of Monday’s triathlon mixed relay and Thursday and Friday’s marathon swim events: strong currents.
The currents were nearly three times stronger than normal, making it difficult to swim in the Seine. The athletes competing in the triathlon and marathon swimming events will face both strong currents and bacteria levels in the water.
The Olympics have been held in Paris before, and similar issues arose during the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro, where open-water swimming events were held in Copacabana Bay. However, the situation was even more hazardous due to tons of trash and raw sewage from poor neighborhoods flowing directly into the bay, making it up to 1.7 million times more dangerous than a US beach.
In Paris, the Seine has played a significant role in the city’s history and culture for centuries. Monet, Renoir, Seurat, and other Impressionist and post-Impressionists painted scenes depicting life along the river. However, swimming in the Seine was banned a century ago, and by the 1960s, the river was declared biologically dead.
After being awarded the Olympics in 2017, the municipal government in Paris spent $1.5 billion to upgrade the ancient storm and wastewater infrastructure in hopes of making the river safe again. To prove it worked, Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a dip in the river nine days before the opening ceremony.
However, unseasonable summer rains came, pounding Paris and undoing much of that work. The sewer system captures both stormwater and wastewater, then routes it through treatment plants. Heavy rains can overwhelm this system, and when the sewer pipes reach capacity, the wastewater has nowhere to go but the river.
Additionally, on stormy days, clouds block out the sun, preventing harmful bacteria in the water from being killed.
Source: https://www.latimes.com/sports/olympics/story/2024-08-04/seine-current-triathon-marathon-swimming-paris