Thanks to water purification projects, the Seine in Paris has been cleared for public navigation for the first time in a century.
In Paris, citizens were allowed to swim in the famous Seine River since July 5th – for the first time in more than a century of official prohibition. The ban on swimming was introduced back in 1923 due to severe water pollution.
This was reported by the BFMTV agency.
The first to dive into the water at 8:00 local time (9:00 Kyiv time) were several dozen swimmers, who noted that the water in the Seine was “very hot.” Swimming is now possible at the Bras-Marie naval base in the historic center of Paris, as well as in the Grenelle and Bercy districts.
For the convenience of vacationers, changing rooms, showers and beach furniture are equipped. The bathing areas are designed for the simultaneous stay of 150 to 300 people.
In 1923, swimming in the Seine River in Paris was banned due to significant water pollution and the danger posed by heavy shipping traffic.
Excessively high levels of bacterial contamination – faecal bacteria and heavy metals – made the river a health hazard
The ban lasted for over 100 years, which resulted in the absence of a swimming tradition in the city centre.
There were attempts to lift the restrictions back in 1988, when then-mayor Jacques Chirac promised to take a dip in the Seine to prove its safety. However, the environmental situation remained under control for a long time – only after a large-scale cleanup before the 2024 Olympics, €1.4 billion was invested in modernizing the sewage system, filtering wastewater and building rainwater reservoirs.
It was after this that the bacteria levels dropped to the levels that allowed for swimming in the Seine at the Olympics and, ultimately, the opening of swimming to the public in 2025.
Let us recall that earlier we wrote about France being flooded. Due to record rainfalls, rivers, in particular the Seine, overflowed their banks. In numerous cities and villages, people travel exclusively by boat.
