A Historic Venue Revisited
The romantic River Seine, a historical icon in Paris, is making a splash again in the sporting world. Over 124 years after hosting its first Olympic swimming events, the Seine is set to welcome athletes for the Marathon swimming and Triathlon events at the Paris Olympics. However, this picturesque river has recently been the center of an unusual and pungent protest by disgruntled Parisians.
The Legacy of the Seine in the Olympics
The Seine first hosted Olympic swimming events in 1900 at the Basins d’Asnières-Courbevoie, along a 13 km route in the heart of Paris. By 1923, however, swimming in the river was banned due to rising pollution and increasing traffic. Now, as the Seine gears up for the 2024 Olympics, concerns about its pollution levels and weather conditions are mounting.
The Push for a Cleaner Seine
Efforts to make the Seine swimmable again date back to 1990 when former Paris mayor and French president Jacques Chirac promised to swim in the river to demonstrate its cleanliness. Although Chirac’s plan never materialized, current Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo made river swimming a key goal in the 2016 Paris Olympics bid, aiming to open 20 swimming areas by 2025.
Pollution Problems and Government Plans
The Seine’s pollution issues stem from a combined sewer system introduced in the late 19th century, which mixes waste and stormwater. This system often leads to sewage overflow during heavy rains, contaminating the river with harmful bacteria like E. coli and Enterococci. To combat this, the French government has invested 1.5 billion euros in measures including a massive underground rainwater storage tank and enhanced sewage treatment facilities.
Protests and Public Outcry
Despite these efforts, pollution levels remain a concern. A sewer issue led to the cancellation of an Olympic test event last year, and recent tests by the Surfrider Foundation revealed that the Seine’s water still fails to meet European Union regulations. In a bold move, French president Emmanuel Macron and Mayor Hidalgo planned to swim in the Seine to prove its safety but canceled due to snap elections. This prompted an anonymous online campaign under the hashtag #JeChieDansLaSeineLe23Juin (“I Shit in the Seine on June 23”), encouraging Parisians to defecate in the river as a form of protest.
The Protest Plan and Current Water Quality
The protest, initially intended as a joke, gained traction, with a website providing a calculator for participants to determine the best time and place to defecate for maximum impact. Meanwhile, Mayor Hidalgo took a symbolic dip in the Seine on July 17, claiming the water was “very good.”
Current water quality data shows fluctuating pollution levels, with E. coli and Enterococci often exceeding safety limits. The World Triathlon Federation’s guidelines set maximum permissible levels at 900 cfu for E. coli and 330 cfu for Enterococci, but recent readings have frequently surpassed these thresholds.
Contingency Plans for the Olympics
In response to these challenges, Olympic organizers have prepared contingency plans. If pollution levels remain high, swimming portions of the triathlon events may be canceled or relocated to alternative venues like the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.
Conclusion
As the Paris Olympics approach, the cleanliness of the River Seine remains a hot topic. While government efforts are ongoing, public protests highlight the urgency of the situation. The world will be watching to see if Paris can successfully host safe and clean swimming events in this iconic river.
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