The head of the organizing committee of the Paris Olympics, Tony Estanguet, is “certain” that it will be possible to use the River Seine in the Summer Olympics, despite the latest results showing that it still fails water quality tests.
The Paris mayor’s office released the results of the latest checks carried out, which showed that E.Coli levels remain above the maximum limits imposed by sports federations.
On June 18, the E.Coli level was 10 times the acceptable level and did not fall below the upper limit of 1,000 colony forming units per 100 milliliters (cfu/ml) used by the World Triathlon Federation.
“Water quality continues to be degraded due to adverse hydrological conditions, low sunlight, below-average seasonal temperatures and pollution in the upper layers,” the mayor’s office said in a statement.
![Olympics: What's happening and why are people concerned about the use of the Seine? 1 sikoyranas paris](https://thegurumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/sikoyranas_paris.jpg)
The sports that will be held on the Seine
The Olympics begin on July 26th, with the men’s and women’s triathlon scheduled for July 30th and 31st, respectively, and the mixed event, on August 5th.
The Seine will also host the swimming marathon at the Olympic Games, on August 8 and 9, and the paratriathlon event at the Paralympic Games, which begin on August 28.
“We are still confident in the tradition of racing on the Seine,” said Estanguet. “We knew from the beginning that the plan we decided on was really in line with the good conditions at the end of July. Now we enter the last round and in the good zone.”
Heavy rains in the days leading up to events can increase bacteria levels in the water.
Last year, trial triathlons and marathon swimming events on the Seine – designed to ensure the Olympics would go ahead smoothly – were cancelled after the river failed pollution tests in August.
Organizers say that around €1.4 billion (£1.2 billion) is being spent on a regeneration project to make the Seine safe for swimming, including a rainwater storage basin to try to reduce pollution risks.
The opening ceremony
The Olympic opening ceremony will be the first to be held outside the stadium, with more than 10,000 athletes expected to sail along a 6km course on the River Seine in around 160 boats.
But French President Emmanuel Macron says he could be transferred if the security risk is too high.
Unsafe levels of feces in the water where athletes swim can cause gastrointestinal illnesses, said Helena Solo-Gabriele, a professor in the department of chemical, environmental and materials engineering at the University of Miami.
Why are Paris residents protesting?
Paris residents threaten to leave feces in the waters of the Seine in protest before the Olympics.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo was due to swim in the Seine on Sunday to prove the water is clean enough for Olympic athletes – but postponed the plunge until after the French elections in July.
President Emmanuel Macron also promised to swim in the Seine before the Games, but did not say when.
The problem is that all the resources invested have not solved all the social problems that France currently has, points out Sky News.
With information from BBC, NBC and Sky News