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- Seine water quality tests below standard for Olympic swimming (newsbreak.com)
Recent testing of the River Seine’s water quality revealed it was slightly below standards mandated for swimming, coinciding with the onset of the Paris Olympics. An increase in heavy rain during the opening ceremony raised concerns about the Seine’s longstanding pollution issues and its suitability for swimming events, as water quality in Paris is particularly susceptible to weather changes.
In a move to allay public fears, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a well-publicized swim in the river just before the games, signifying her confidence in its safety for Olympic events like the marathon swimming and triathlon that will utilize the Seine.
Daily assessments of the Seine’s water involve testing for E. coli bacteria. Just before the mayor’s swim, monitoring by Eau de Paris indicated E. coli levels at the Bras Marie exceeded European safety standards, recording 985 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters, surpassing the allowable limit of 900.
While higher levels were recorded at Bras Marie, two other test locations downstream showed readings below this threshold. Despite these fluctuations, Paris authorities noted that water quality at the intended Olympic swimming sites met European standards for most of the past week.
Authorities explained the variable test results by pointing to the Seine’s significantly unstable flow, often more than double its normal level during the summer due to frequent rain, which can drastically affect daily water quality metrics.
Swimming has been prohibited in the Seine for over a century, but since 2015, over $1.5 billion has been invested to revamp the river in anticipation of the Olympics. This overhaul includes constructing a large underground water reservoir, updating sewer systems, and enhancing wastewater treatment facilities, with the goal of providing both a suitable venue for Olympic events and a cleaner river for Paris post-Games.
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- Seine water quality tests below standard for Olympic swimming (newsbreak.com)