With the opening ceremony and certain open water events, the quality of the water in the Seine is the subject of much debate. But beyond the swimmability of the river, the challenge is to accommodate three million additional people in the Paris metropolis during periods of extreme heat.
Is it reasonable to welcome the world of sport in the middle of summer when periods of drought are increasing? “We don’t risk running out of fuel”immediately defused Pierre Rabadan, deputy mayor of Paris in charge of Sport, the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Seine, on the occasion of the second edition of Demain le sport, organized at the Maison de la Radio and of Music by franceinfo, France Télévisions and The Team. “We expect a volume of people greater than three million. During this period, there are approximately 12 million people in Paris, during the Olympic period, there will be 15 million people”continues the former professional rugby player.
For its part, Eau de Paris, the public company responsible for the production and distribution of drinking water in the capital, has released its calculator; it predicts consumption peaks of +7% maximum, or a total of 550 000 cubic meters per day, while its production plants are capable of supplying one million cubic meters. However, for safety reasons, there will be no work or factory shutdowns between July and September 2024.
“7% doesn’t seem like much in a normal situation, but when you have a period of drought with water rationing and in addition you have peaks in consumption, that can pose big problems. problems”warns François Gemenne, climate researcher and author for the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). “We will absolutely have to anticipate this, in particular through reservations”, he adds. And from this point of view, the Seine can count on its large retention lakes which make it possible to maintain its flow during periods of drought.
The Olympic Games, accelerators of the sanitation of the Seine
And at the other end of the pipe? No worries either. Siaap, the Ile-de-France public sanitation service, is not worried either. “Our six factories reprocess 2,500 cubic meters of domestic, artisanal and industrial wastewater every day”recalls François-Marie Didier, its president. “In August, the reprocessing volume decreases to 2,000 Cubic meters”he specifies, a margin which allows us to envisage without particular fear the influx of delegations and tourists in the summer of 2024.
Above all, in the sights of these Olympic and Paralympic Games, the events in the Seine, and the need to achieve the standards which make it possible to make the river swimmable. The Siaap “don’t clean the Seine”warns François-Marie Didier, “we discharge the cleanest water possible”. And for this, three axes were followed: a better connection to the sewers for households in the Ile-de-France region, more rainwater capacity so that the sewers do not overflow during heavy rainfall and the disinfection of discharged water.
Adapting to climate change
But sometimes, nature takes back its rights as shown by the cancellation of test events in August 2023, after violent storms. “If we have major rain episodes that last several weeks, we will not have the capacity to absorb everything”, recognizes Pierre Rabadan. Period of drought or heavy rain, “it is not possible today, a few months before, to know what impact [du changement climatique] will affect which region. This requires each site to have an adaptation plan, and this is an area in which we are behind in Europe, because we have long immunized ourselves from these impacts, and this can affect major sporting competitions.develops François Gemenne.
“If we have heat waves in urban areas, if the temperature exceeds 40, 41, 42 or 43 degrees, certain competitions like the marathon will have to be run at different times”, continues the researcher. And take the example of the World Cup in Qatar, moved to winter to avoid excessive heat.
Refresh, hydrate… without waste
Avoid overheating, for athletes… but also for spectators, with one constraint: “In all festivities and competition sites, there will no longer be single-use plastic bottles, but systems of reusable cups in which water and other drinks can be served via fountains”, assures Pierre Rabadan. A system generalized to all events organized in Paris after the Games.
To the 1,200 water points present in the capital, 700 will be added in the “approach zones” competitions indicates the Parisian elected official. Misting devices, “like those used during Paris Plages, very refreshing and low consumption water”, as well as permanent or temporary shade structures, will also be installed, explains Pierre Rabadan.
Challenges that will be faced by Los Angeles (United States) in 2028 and Brisbane (Australia) in 2032, two cities also subject to extreme heat and significant risks of drought.