A huge reservoir dug next to Gare Austerlitz in Paris is intended to collect excess rainwater and prevent bacteria-laden wastewater from flowing into the Seine.
It can hold the equivalent of 20 Olympic swimming pools of dirty water, which will now be treated rather than being discharged straight into the river through storm drains.
“We are on schedule,” said Marc Guillaume, the governor of the Paris region. “The opening of the competition will coincide with a time when water quality will allow competition. This is a tremendous success for the community.”
Paris Mayor Anne Hildago has promised to swim in the Seine before the Olympics, possibly with President Emmanuel Macron.
She said the new reservoir would “guarantee” water could be stored even during severe storms and help water levels “return to normal as soon as possible.”
The opening of the basin is the latest step towards cleaner rivers and comes as part of a series of new facilities, including a water treatment facility in Champigny-sur-Marne, east of Paris, that became operational last month.
During the Olympics, water quality tests will be conducted daily at 3 a.m. to determine whether the event can be held as scheduled. If the results don't meet standards, the event could be delayed several days, organizers said.
The estimated cost of the cleanup effort amounted to 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion), paid for by state and local governments.
“For more than 10 years already, the water quality of the Seine has significantly improved, and the river's fish and wildlife have returned,” Hidalgo said.
The Paris section of the river is currently home to about 35 species of fish, but in the 1970s there were only three species. At that time, the nearby industrial activity caused the water to become extremely polluted.
For decades, the Seine has been used primarily as a waterway to transport goods and people, or as a water graveyard for discarded bicycles and other trash. Swimming there has been illegal since 1923, with some exceptions.
Paris authorities plan to open some bathing facilities to the public from next year until summer.
The Seine will also be at the heart of the Olympic Games' grand opening ceremony, when a delegation of more than 200 athletes will be paraded through the center of Paris in more than 80 boats.
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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
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AP writers Oleg Setinich and Marcia McPherson contributed to this article.
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