one month before the tests, the Seine is still too polluted

Star of the Olympic Games, will the Seine take the expected place in July? Its level of pollution is higher than regulatory standards. The heavy rains, the high flow of the river, the little sunshine and the temperatures below seasonal norms have led to a level of concentration of fecal bacteria E.coli that is too high. “To date, the samples in the Seine do not correspond to the standards that we will have this summer”indicates Marc Guillaume, prefect of the Île-de-France region, who nevertheless says he “confident” on the holding of the tests in the Seine.

As it stands, despite four years of work and 1.4 million euros invested, swimming is still unthinkable. The Seine is to host the triathlon, marathon swimming and paratriathlon events, as well as the opening ceremony. Due to excessive flow, the dress rehearsal scheduled for Monday June 24 with the 90 boats in the fleet was canceled, just one month before the start of the Olympic Games.