PARIS (AP) — French officials were sworn in Thursday. huge reservoir The purpose is to clean the Seine River, which will be the venue for the marathon swimming. Paris Games Swimming division of Olympic and Paralympic triathlons.
Sports Minister Amélie Houdea-Castella praised Paris' ability to “offer athletes from all over the world a wonderful setting along the Seine for the event.”
last year, Swimming test event We had to cancel due to poor water quality. One reason is that heavy rains caused the city's old sewers to overflow, causing a mix of rainwater and untreated sewage to flow into the Seine, leaving safety standards unmet.
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.
“It's on schedule,” Paris region governor Marc Guillaume said. “The start of the competition will coincide with water quality that will allow for competition. It's a huge collective success.”
Paris Mayor Anne Hildago has pledged to do so herself. swim in the seine Before the Olympics – probably alongside 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 Pali River is currently home to around 35 species of fish, compared to only three in the 1970s when the water body was degraded. extremely contaminated Due to nearby industrial activities.
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 should also be at the heart of it. grand opening ceremony At the Olympics, a delegation of more than 200 athletes will parade 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.
