Five eagerly anticipated events in the Paris Olympics will be the mens and womens 10 kilometre marathon swimming races, as well as the 1,500 metre swimming section of three triathlon events. Why? Because all will be held in the Seine River in the centre of Paris. The swimmers – including four Australians – will pass famous landmarks such as the Musee d'Orsay as they swim through the historic heart of the city. This will have enormous scenic appeal for spectators.
But will it be safe for swimmers? Rivers running through large cities are often polluted, whether from stormwater, chemical pollution or wastewater spills. As the marathon swimmers pass the Paris Sewer Museum, they may well wonder if they’re in clean water.
For more than 100 years, swimming in the Seine has actually been illegal, due to concerns over what the water could do to human health. Authorities have been working to clean up the water, spending A$2.2 billion (€1.3 billion) on improving water quality. The goal: cut bacterial contamination by 75% before the first swimmer touches the water. These measures are having an impact – but recent heavy rains have seen bacteria levels spike.
