KUALA LUMPUR – One month before the Paris Olympic Games, concerns mount over the water quality of the Seine River, crucial for hosting open-water swimming and triathlon events.
Recent tests from the Paris mayor’s office revealed alarming levels of E. coli bacteria, consistently exceeding safe limits set by sports federations.
On June 18, E. coli levels were 10 times above the acceptable threshold of 1,000 colony-forming units per 100ml (cfu/ml) recommended by the World Triathlon Federation.
While enterococci bacteria showed improvement, they remained unsafe for three days last week.
In a statement, the mayor’s office attributed the degraded water quality to “adverse hydrological conditions, limited sunshine, below-average seasonal temperatures and upstream pollution”.
Despite €1.4 billion (RM7,063,420,000) spent over the past decade to upgrade Paris’s sewerage and water treatment systems, the city’s infrastructure, some dating back to the 19th century, struggles during major storms, leading to untreated sewage discharges into the river.
Currently, the Seine’s water levels are unusually high, around four to five times its typical summer flow, complicating preparations for the Olympics.
Organisers express confidence that upcoming dry weather and sunshine will restore the Seine’s suitability for outdoor swimming events.
“We remain confident in delivering the competitions on the Seine,” said Paris 2024 chief organiser Tony Estanguet during a recent visit to the Olympic Village on Tuesday.
Despite disruptions caused by high water levels and rain affecting the July 26 opening ceremony, plans are in place for a unique start to the Summer Games, beginning outside the main stadium with athletes navigating the river on nearly 100 boats.
While Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo aims to establish post-Olympic public swimming areas, recent challenges have prompted the postponement of a demonstration swim.
Contingency plans for potential pollution spikes during the Games include flexibility in event scheduling or, in extreme cases, cancellation.
Rumours of relocating events to Nice were denied, reaffirming Paris’ commitment to hosting despite ongoing river condition challenges, reported a local newspaper. – June 28, 2024