River Pollution Concerns Hound 2024 Paris Olympics

Less than 100 days before the start of the 2024 Paris Olympics, concerns are mounting about the cleanliness of the river Seine, where events like the marathon swim and triathlon are scheduled, NBC News reported.

Despite efforts to clean up the river, pollution levels are raising fears of potential event postponements or cancellations.

Kayakers, including Arc de Seine Kayak club members, are taking matters into their own hands, scouring the river for garbage, including plastic fragments and debris, which are particularly visible after rain.

But French charity reports indicate that the river contains high levels of bacteria, including from fecal pollution, prompting worries about safety. While Paris Organizing Committee President Tony Estanguet expressed optimism about using the Seine, he acknowledged the possibility of canceling the swimming leg of the triathlon if pollution levels spike.

"It will be possible to use the Seine," said Estanguet, while conceding that elevated pollution levels could prompt cancellation of the swimming segment in the triathlon. "It's what we want to avoid, of course."

France has invested 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) to overhaul Paris' sewage system, aiming to allow public swimming in the Seine by 2025. However, previous pollution tests canceled the swim portion of a test marathon event in August.

Fluidion, a company monitoring the river's water quality, shared troubling findings with NBC News, indicating E. coli levels exceeding safe swimming thresholds. While E. coli's presence isn't always harmful, experts warn that even minor rain events can significantly increase levels, potentially causing infections or illnesses.

"You may swim in very polluted water, and nothing may happen to you, or you may swim, and you may develop itches, or you may develop infections, or you may catch a strain of E. coli that may be pathogenic," Estanguet said. Those aren't very common, but they exist, and that could get you really sick." 

French President Emmanuel Macron and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo have pledged to swim in the river to demonstrate its safety.

Pierre-Antoine Molina, a Paris public policy director, noted gradual improvements in water quality due to modernized wastewater treatment plants and improved sewage systems.

"It's an ancient city going back to Roman times, so inevitably that's a big task," he said.

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