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2w ago

Paris Opens Seine to Swimmers for First Time Since 1923

Three supervised bathing sites along the Seine will remain open through August with daily water testing, flag alerts alongside lifeguard oversight following a €1.4 billion cleanup

A view of one of the three Seine swimming pools, Thursday, July 3, 2025 which will open during the 'Paris Plages' event from July 5 to Aug. 31 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)
France recorded its second-warmest June since records began in 1900
Mathias Hajeut, left, and Emilie Vilana of Fluidion test the Seine river water quality, Thursday, July 3, 2025 for the opening of the three Seine swimming pools during the 'Paris Plages' event from July 5 to Aug. 31 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)
Emilie Vilana of Fluidion takes a sample from the Seine river to test the water quality, Thursday, July 3, 2025 for the opening of the three Seine swimming pools during the 'Paris Plages' event from July 5 to Aug. 31 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Overview

  • Three free supervised swimming zones at Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower and in eastern Paris opened July 4 and will welcome bathers through August 31
  • Daily tests have met European Union water-quality standards since early June and a flag system closes sites only after heavy rain or elevated bacterial readings
  • Lifeguards verify that swimmers meet minimum age requirements of 10 or 14 years and monitor river conditions to guard against strong currents and boat traffic
  • The seasonal reopening fulfills the legacy of a €1.4 billion Seine cleanup launched for the Paris 2024 Olympics, which faced rain-driven bacterial surges that delayed triathlon and marathon events
  • Independent experts caution that current sampling methods undercount bacteria and warn that Paris’s 19th-century sewer overflows during storms still pose contamination risks