A charity in France has raised concerns over “alarming” bacteria levels polluting the Seine—the Paris river in which several Olympic and Paralympic Games events will be held this summer.
The warning from the Surfrider Foundation, which comes less than four months before the games begin in July, was delivered in the form of an open letter to stakeholders. It claimed that out of 14 samples taken from the Seine over a six-month period, all but one showed poor water quality.
In a Facebook post, Surfrider Foundation Europe said there are several causes of the pollution “ranging from rainfall to malfunctions in the sewage system, including poorly connected barges and animal waste.” It said the samples were collected at the Alexandre III Bridge which, according to the games’ organizers, will “provide a majestic setting for the finish line” of the swimming marathon, triathlon, and Para triathlon events.
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“The consequences of this pollution on health are serious, ranging from common infections such as otitis and conjunctivitis to more severe infections such as staphylococcus,” Surfrider’s post said. “It’s also an opportunity to reaffirm how precious health is in all circumstances, but especially when you are an athlete pursuing such a big dream: That of becoming an Olympic champion.”
French President Emmanuel Macron has promised to swim in the river before the games open to show that the waters are safe. Swimming in the Seine has been banned since 1923 owing to pollution, but local authorities have vowed to make cleaning up the French capital’s waterways an important legacy of the 2024 Olympics.
Marc Guillaume, the top state security official for Paris, told the AFP that Surfrider had “very poor knowledge of this issue” and claimed “There’s no point doing tests today in the Seine and comparing them with what will happen next summer.”
The games’ organizers and Paris officials hope a massive new storm water facility—which is set to open this month—will help reduce pollution levels. The Paris prefect’s office also noted that the first quarter of 2024 had seen “extremely large rainfall,” with torrential rains known to create problems for the city’s aging sewer system.
Water disinfection facilities which had not been used during Surfrider’s testing period will be online by the time games arrive, the Ile-de-France precinct added in a news release.
