Paris (AP) – For the first time in more than a century, the Parisian and tourist Scene will be able to take a fresh dip in the river. Long -term polluted waterways are finally opening as a summer floating place 1.4 billion euros ($ 1.5 billion) Cleaning project that made it suitable Olympic competition Last year.
Three new swimming sites on the Paris Riverbank will open on Saturday – one close to the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, the other near the Eiffel Tower and a third in East Paris.
Due to pollution and risks by river navigation, with some exceptions, swimming in the scene has been illegal since 1923. Taking a dip outside the bathing areas is still banned for security reasons.
One of the stars of the scene was Paris Olympics in 2024Whether the scene of the ambitious opening ceremony or a visual of triathlon and marathon swimming competitions. Did not go without such challenging obstacles Rainfall of bacteriaWhich postponed some competitions.
Officials of this city have given green lights for public opening, in which the results of water quality are consistently in line with European rules.
Splash in Paris City Center
“This is a symbolic moment when we bring back our river,” Sports coach and affected Lucil Woodward said, who will participate in the first amateur open water competition in the scene on Sunday.
Woodward, who enjoyed a dip Paris Mayor Anne with Hidalgo Just before the onset of the Olympic Games, it is believed that things will go well.
“We are going to enjoy swimming in it, going there and installing an example,” he said. “Once people will see that in the end there are hundreds of people who have fun and enjoy it, everyone would like to go!”
Woodward said, “For families, to take a dip with children, it is a little spatting in Paris, it is extraordinary.”
There was a great reward for the cost of Olympic athletes competing in the river Cleaning attempt,
In the run-up for the Games, the authorities opened new disinfection units and created a huge storage basin, which means to prevent waste water filled with more bacteria from direct spilling in the scene when it rains.
Houseboats that used to evacuate their sewage directly into the river needed to hook the municipal sewer system. In some houses in Paris, their wastewater was seen connected to treatment plants instead of rainwater arrangements, which were flowing directly into the river.
Green flag for swimming
Paris Deputy Mayor Pierre Rabdan said that daily water is tested to confirm being safe for swimming. On the French beaches, various colorful flags will inform visitors whether they can go inside.
“Green means water quality is good. Red means it is not good or it is too much current,” he said.
Rabdan said that from the beginning of June, Rabdan said, with only two exceptions, due to rain and pollution related to boat.
He said, “I cannot make a condition on the number of days when we have to stop this heat, but the water quality seems better than last year,” he said. “We are in a natural environment … so the change in weather conditions has an effect.”
Last year, Many athletes became ill After competing in Triathlon and after the open water race during the Olympics, although it was not clear in most cases whether the river was convicted for their illness.
World Aquatics insisted that the situation completed the approved Threshold of the game.
The organization said in a statement to the Associated Press, “The legacy of these efforts is already clear, now open for public swimming with the scene-a positive example is how sports can run long-term community benefits.”
Suspicion lives about the quality of water
Dan Angelsku, the founder and CEO of the Water Monitoring Tech Company, Fluidian -based Paris and Los Angeles, has regularly and independently tested bacterial levels in the scene for many years. Despite being in line with the current rules, there are limitations of official water testing methods and reduce bacteria, he said.
“What we see is that the quality of water in the scene is highly variable,” Angelsku said. “There are only a few days in swimming season where I would say that water quality is acceptable for swimming.”
“We can all say that we can extend one hand and say: Science today does not support the current evaluation of water safety used in the rivers around Paris, and we think there is a big risk that is not being occupied at all,” he said.
Some Parisians have also shown doubts about the idea of ​​swimming in the scene. In some places, the emotion is often reinforced by water mercury colors, floating garbage and many tourist boats.
Real Estate Agent, Anis Mahdzob said that he will not be afraid of swimming, but “a little hatred. It is currently worried about being more dirty than anything.”
Dream came true
By the end of August, swimming sites will be open for free at the scheduled time, which will be for anyone with minimum 10 or 14 years of minimum age based on space. Lifeguards will keep a vigilant watch on those first dips.
“This is an opportunity, a dream has come true,” said a project manager in Paris, Kli Montanari. “It will be a dream if the scene becomes potable, it would be the final goal, okay? But already swimming in it is really good.”
,
Oleg Setinic and Alexander Turnbull contributed to this report.
Silvi Corbett and Jeffrey Shefer, Associated Press
