A month and a half before the Olympics, the Seine River became extremely polluted

The Seine River was highly polluted on June 16, a month and a half before the start of the Olympic Games (July 26 – August 11), regarding the standards for allowing triathlon and open water swimming competitions, according to the results of analyzes published Friday.

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Regional Governor Marc Guillaume commented, during a press statement, saying that “so far, the samples found in the Seine River do not meet the standards that we will obtain this summer,” expressing his confidence in the Cojo (regulating committee). On conducting tests at the end of July and beginning of August on the Seine.

According to the weekly bulletin published by the municipality of Paris and the province of Ile-de-France, the bad weather in France in recent days explains the presence of concentrations much higher than the standards of fecal bacteria to allow competitions in the river.

“Water quality is still deteriorating due to the unfavorable hydrological and meteorological context: rain, high flow, little sunlight, and temperatures below seasonal standards,” local authorities explain.

They also recall that “the high flow of the river, which does not promote good water quality, is a result of this very wet weather.”

According to charts posted online, the concentration level of fecal E.Coli bacteria was greater than 1,000 colony-forming units (CFU)/100 ml, the minimum used by the International Triathlon Union and open water swimming federations to allow testing. Almost every day from June 10 to 16.

It reached or even exceeded 5,000 units on June 11, 15, and 16. The increase is “explained by rainfall-related upstream discharges,” according to the city and county council.

The Seine River, the star of these Olympic Games, will host the opening ceremony as well as triathlon, marathon and paratriathlon swimming races.

But there is still suspense about holding the Olympics since “test events” in August 2023 had to be canceled largely due to inadequate water quality.

In the event of heavy rainfall, it is possible for untreated water – a mixture of rainwater and sewage – to be released into the river, a phenomenon that the retention works opened just before the Games were intended to prevent.

The alternative plan is to postpone the tests for a few days, but without changing the location.