The bridge is the intended finish line for the 10-kilometre marathon swim and the underwater portion of the Olympic and Paralympic triathlons.
But Ile-de-France officials said Monday that the waters could be swimmable for the Summer Olympics if key elements of a $1.5 billion plan to clean the river are implemented in April and May. , rejected the Surfrider test.
The River Seine, which meanders through Paris, has not historically been considered an attractive place to swim. Entering the ocean has been prohibited for a century due to sewage and other health concerns.
But the cleanup was a much-publicized promise as part of Paris authorities' efforts to host the 2024 Olympics.
The river will be the focal point of the opening ceremony, along with some sporting events. Instead of the traditional parade held on land, the athletes will sail down the Seine on a cruise ship with spectators lining the banks.
In an open letter, Surfrider said there were growing concerns about the risks to Olympic athletes if the water was still contaminated in July, calling the test results “alarming”. Stated.
The cleanup plan also faced other setbacks. The Open Water Swimming World Cup, scheduled to be held on the Seine in Paris in August, was canceled due to poor water quality caused by above-average rainfall. That month, two of the four days of the Olympic test event were canceled for the same reason.
But in a news release on Monday, the Ile-de-France region said major structural works in the cleanup plan, including a huge new Austerlitz rainwater retention basin, have not yet been carried out.
He added that disinfection equipment at the water treatment facility, which was scheduled to be operational in the run-up to the event, was not operational during Surfrider's testing period. Heavy winter rains have caused water quality to deteriorate, but this will not affect the summer games. and boats on the Seine, Facilities that discharge wastewater into the river will either be connected to the city's sanitation network by the summer or removed for the Olympics.
It has been announced that the water in the Seine will be “swimmable” in time for summer events.
Plans to clean the river have been in the works since 2016, and authorities aim to open more than 20 swimming areas after the Olympics.