With just a month until the Paris Olympics, the Seine River, set to host the opening ceremony and events such as open water swimming and triathlon, remains significantly polluted.
Analysis reports published by Paris city hall for the week of June 16-23 revealed that water quality is still below the standards required for these premier sporting events.
The city hall attributed the poor water quality to an "unfavourable hydrological context" including rain, high flow, low sunshine, cooler temperatures, and pollution. However, officials are hopeful for improvements with better weather expected this week.
Regional prefect Marc Guillaume warned earlier in July that swimming in the river might not be possible due to increased flow. The river's flow reached 666 cubic metres per second on June 23, significantly higher than the usual 100-150 cubic metres for this period, prompting the postponement of the opening ceremony rehearsal scheduled for Monday.
The recent surge in water flow, coupled with adverse weather conditions, has heightened concerns about the viability of river events and the Opening Ceremony. Heavy rainfall poses a risk of mixing rainwater with sewage, a problem that recent containment efforts aim to mitigate.
In case of further complications, Plan B suggests postponing events for a few days rather than changing the location.
Read more: Paris 2024 Olympics
(Source: Amna)
