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13h ago

Paris Reopens Seine to Swimmers, Heavy Rains Trigger Daily Closures

A €1.4 billion Olympic-driven cleanup now relies on daily bacterial tests with a flag warning system to manage public access.

There are three designated swimming sites now open to the public: one near the Eiffel Tower, one close to Notre Dame Cathedral, and one in eastern Paris.
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Overview

  • Three supervised bathing areas near the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and the National Library opened on July 5 for free public swimming with lifeguards and mandatory tow floats.
  • City Hall tests for E. coli and enterococci each morning and hoists green, yellow or red flags to indicate whether sites must close for health reasons.
  • On July 6 heavy downpours overwhelmed both the 19th-century sewer network and new stormwater reservoirs, forcing an immediate shutdown of all swim zones.
  • Cleanup efforts connected 20,000 homes to the sewage system, upgraded treatment plants and built large cisterns as part of the legacy of Paris’s 2024 Olympics.
  • Officials caution that weather-driven sewage overflows could prompt further closures through the August swimming season to protect public health.