For the first time since 1923, following a large-scale water purification operation, the Seine River has been opened for public swimming in Paris. Three equipped sites along the banks of the Seine will be able to accommodate more than 1,000 swimmers daily until August 31, according to Reuters. They are located near the Eiffel Tower, not far from Notre Dame Cathedral, and there is also a site in the eastern part of the city.
The BBC reports that all three areas are equipped with changing rooms, showers, and beach furniture, allowing up to 300 people to be accommodated simultaneously.
The opening of the Seine for public swimming is the result of efforts by the authorities to improve water quality for the 2024 Summer Olympics.
The French authorities have invested €1.4 billion in cleaning up the river, connecting thousands of homes to the sewage system, modernizing water treatment facilities, and building several reservoirs to store rainwater, thereby preventing the sewage system from overflowing during heavy rains.
Ultimately, the competition on the Seine, which had been closed to swimming since 1923 due to polluted water, took place, reinforcing confidence in the river’s safety for mass swimming.