Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo expressed confidence that the water quality in the River Seine will meet Olympic standards this summer, and she plans to prove it by swimming in the river herself, possibly alongside President Emmanuel Macron.
The Seine, which will host marathon swimming and the swimming leg of the Olympic and Paralympic triathlons, has been too toxic for swimming and most fish for decades due to pollution.
Hidalgo highlighted new facilities that have been built to clean up the river, including a water treatment plant in Champigny-sur-Marne and a large storage basin near the Austerlitz train station. The basin will hold the equivalent of 20 Olympic swimming pools of dirty water, preventing untreated wastewater from being released into the Seine during heavy rainfall.
The mayor has invited top officials, including President Macron and IOC president Thomas Bach, to participate in an event called “the big dive” at the end of June or beginning of July. Hidalgo emphasized that the Seine will be safe for swimming during the event and that many volunteers have already come forward to join her and the athletes.
Paris regional prefect Marc Guillaume dismissed a recent NGO report that criticized the Seine’s water quality, stating that the report was based on winter testing when no one was swimming. Routine water testing will begin on June 1, and during the Olympics, water will be tested daily at 3 a.m. to determine if events can proceed as planned.
The estimated cost of the Seine cleanup efforts is 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion), funded by the state and local authorities. While swimming will be allowed during the summer from 2025 onward, it will remain illegal during other seasons.
Hidalgo also unveiled plans for cultural and sports celebrations to be held at 26 sites across Paris during the summer, emphasizing that security is the authorities’ top concern. Around 30,000 police officers are expected to be deployed each day during the Games, with 45,000 working during the opening ceremony on the Seine.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.