French officials inaugurated a huge water storage basin meant to help clean up the River Seine, set to be the venue for marathon swimming at the Paris Games and the swimming leg of the Olympic and Paralympic triathlons.

Paris

**Paris Inaugurates Giant Water Basin To Clean Up the River Seine**

In a significant stride towards the environmental cleanup of the River Seine, French officials have inaugurated a vast water storage basin. This development is part of preparations for the Paris Games, with the Seine slated to host the marathon swimming and the swimming segments of both the Olympic and Paralympic triathlons.

The newly unveiled structure is a keystone in fulfilling Paris's commitment to ensuring free swimming events in the Seine can proceed without environmental concerns. Highlighting the long-term benefits beyond the immediate context of the Olympics, officials remarked, "This is exactly our vision for these Olympic Games, games that serve a territory, residents, and the environment too." The project emerges not just as a means to facilitate the upcoming games but as a legacy aimed at reducing pollution and restoring the natural habitat.

The initiative was sparked by the necessity to address the River Seine's water quality which led to the cancellation of last year's test events. Challenges such as heavy rains overwhelming Paris's antiquated sewer system, resulting in overflows into the river, underscored the need for a sustainable solution. The constructed basin, costing an estimated 1.4 billion euros, is designed to mitigate these problems by collecting stormwater along with sewage and domestic wastewater, subsequently rerouting them to treatment centers.

This infrastructure not only promises an improvement in the water quality of the Seine but also provides flexibility for the scheduling of Olympic events, allowing for adjustments in response to climatic anomalies without necessitating cancellations. Reflecting on the Seine's past, where it was often relegated to serving as a transport route and at times, an informal dump, the project marks a significant shift towards environmental stewardship.

Despite the historical ban on swimming in the Seine since 1923, a number of Parisians have been enjoying the waters in parts of the canal perceived as cleaner, without reported health issues. However, concerns about water quality persist in central areas of the river. The initiative not only aims at enhancing the river's condition for the Olympics but also aligns with broader goals of making the Seine a safe and enjoyable recreational space for residents. Additionally, the River Seine is also poised to play a central role in the Olympics' grand opening ceremony, although security considerations may lead to changes in these plans.



Paris inaugurates giant water basin to clean up the River Seine

It's a gigantic structure, meant to bring Paris one step closer to its promise of hosting the Olympics free swimming events in the Seine. The Games serve as a pretext, an accelerator, but above all, we do this for the long-term legacy, and on a personal level, I think it's wonderful. This is exactly our vision for these Olympic Games, games that serve a territory, the residents, and the environment too, because there is less pollution in the natural environment. Last year's test events in the Seine had to be cancelled due to poor water quality. One reason was heavy rains that overwhelmed the city's old sewers, causing them to overflow into Paris' main river. At an estimated cost of 1.4 billion euros, this reservoir aims to collect stormwater and overflowing sewage and domestic wastewater before directing them to treatment centres. This structure enables us to move the events back a few days in case there are major climate shocks, but we won't have to cancel them altogether. For decades, the Seine was mainly used as a waterway for the transport of goods and people, and sometimes as an open-air dump for industries and citizens. Swimming there has mostly been prohibited since 1923. But the threat of a faun or disease won't stop these Parisians. They've already been swimming in the Seine for over a year. This part of the canal looks relatively clean. We go swimming and we've never really had any health problems. On the other hand, the Seine in central Paris seems a bit dirtier. So it's already swimmable and we're already enjoying it a lot. The river Seine is also said to be at the heart of the grandiose opening ceremony of the Olympics, although these plans could change for security reasons.

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