Open-water swimming events at the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris could be scuppered by the Seine river, where bathing has been prohibited since 1923.
Faecal contamination of the Seine, which winds 777 kilometres through northern France, exceeded the bathing quality standard for safe swimming just two days before the men’s and women’s triathlon races. Athletes testing the waters before making the plunge to compete have become accustomed to such setbacks. Just a year earlier, the open-water swimming world cup and the para triathlon test event and mixed relay competition in the Seine were cancelled due to the low quality of the water. No wonder athletes were worried ahead of Paris 2024.
The Seine is burdened with an enormous population (12.3 million people live in the region surrounding Paris) and a low river flow that cannot easily dilute pollution. A 19th-century combined sewer system is expected to manage a lot of wastewater: rainwater flows over roads, fields and rooftops and enters the sewer system, accumulating oil, heavy metals, animal faeces and pesticides along the way.
