Tests reveal alarming water quality ahead of open-water events
With just a month until the 2024 Paris Olympics, recent water quality tests show the River Seine is still not fit for swimming. Scheduled to host the open-water swimming competition and the triathlon’s swimming leg, the Seine has failed to meet safety standards.
The latest tests, conducted last week and released by the Paris mayor’s office, indicate E.Coli bacteria levels far exceed the limits set by sports federations. On June 18, E.Coli levels were ten times higher than acceptable, never falling below the 1,000 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters (cfu/ml) standard of the World Triathlon Federation. Enterococci bacteria readings were better but still unsafe for three out of seven days last week.
Causes of poor water quality
“Water quality remains degraded due to unfavorable hydrological conditions, lack of sunshine, below-average seasonal temperatures, and upstream pollution,” stated the mayor’s office. Despite a decade-long effort and 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) spent on improving Paris’s sewerage system and building new water treatment facilities, major storms still overwhelm the city’s wastewater network, leading to untreated sewage discharges into the river.
Recent wet weather has left the Seine unusually high, with water flow four to five times its typical summer level.
Organizers remain hopeful that dry weather and sunshine in the coming weeks will make the Seine suitable for the events. “We are still confident with the delivery of the competitions in the River Seine,” said Tony Estanguet, chief Paris 2024 organizer. “We knew from the beginning that the plan was aligned with good conditions at the end of July.”
Impact on the opening ceremony
The high water levels and rain have also disrupted preparations for the opening ceremony, set to take place on the Seine on July 26. For the first time, the Games will open outside the main stadium, with athletes sailing six kilometers down the river. Strong currents led to the cancellation of the first full practice session on Monday.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who plans to create public swimming spots in the Seine as part of the Olympics legacy, postponed a planned dip to demonstrate the river’s cleanliness, now scheduled for the week of July 14.
Contingency plans
While organizers publicly insist there are no alternatives to their plans, behind-the-scenes discussions suggest the opening ceremony could be scaled back or relocated. The schedule for open-water swimming has some flexibility, allowing delays if pollution spikes, and in the worst case, the event could be canceled. The triathlon might become a duathlon, excluding the swimming segment.
Reports of relocating the triathlon to Nice were denied by the organizing committee. Athletes, meanwhile, are training despite the uncertainty. “Every time, there’s been problems,” noted French open-water swimming coach Stephane Lecat, referencing past Olympic venues. “There are places around Europe that are a lot worse than the Seine and we swim there every year,” he added.
