It has been more than 100 years since swimming was banned due to worsening water quality and increased boat traffic.
Dozens of Parisians enjoyed swimming under the supervision of security personnel on the Seine River, which marked its first day on the 5th, according to AFP news agency.
Since 1923, swimming in the Seine River has been officially prohibited. As the water becomes increasingly dirty, health concerns such as the possibility of skin infections caused by pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli and enteric bacteria have been raised.
The city of Paris pushed for the clean-up of the Seine River, but was slow to do so. A total of 1.4 billion euros was spent on the clean-up. A large underground storage tank was also built to temporarily store contaminated water during heavy rains.
During the Olympics, triathlons and open water swimming competitions were held in the Seine River. However, due to poor water quality, practice matches were canceled several times, and some swimmers in the Seine River suffered an upset stomach or diarrhea, causing water quality problems again. Since then, the city of Paris has been continuously monitoring the water quality, which eventually led to the opening of the swimming pool. The city of Paris is monitoring the water quality in real time. The water quality test was “excellent” the day before the opening.
The three open areas are open to all three outdoor swimming zones, each with a capacity of up to 300 people. They will be open for free until March 31.
The city of Paris, together with national agencies and local health agencies, plans to check the water quality of the swimming area every day to determine whether to operate the swimming pool.
“The clean-up of the Seine is not just for the Olympics, it is part of a sustainable urban policy to prepare for climate change and improve the quality of citizens’ lives,” Paris Mayor An Hidalgo said.
French President Emmanuel Macron also called it a “source of national pride” on social networking services (SNS).
JULIE KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
