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c0lo [soylentnews.org] writes:

France24 [france24.com]

For the first time in more than 100 years, Parisians and tourists alike took a dive into the Seine on Saturday as three new swimming sites opened to the public. The long-forbidden waters are now officially open to the public, following a €1.4-billion cleanup project that paved the way for the open-water events at the Paris Olympics last year.

It is a historic moment for Paris residents but perhaps a dubious one as well, after several swimmers got sick after competing in the open-water races at the 2024 Paris Olympics – although it is not clear if this was due to the water itself, and the World Aquatics governing body said the Seine met necessary thresholds.

A century ago it became illegal to bathe in the waters of the French capital due to severe pollution. In the late 18th and throughout the 19th century, human waste was used for fertiliser. But as alternative fertilisers became more common, sewage was increasingly fed directly into the Seine, making it unfit for bathing.

For many Parisians, their ideas of the Seine are less than romantic: with its fast-paced murky water, floating trash and the occasional 2-metre-long catfish, it's a river full of surprises.

But their presence might actually be a sign that the Seine is getting cleaner, according to Paris town hall. Due to purification efforts over the past 40 years, 34 species of fish now swim in Parisian waters – as opposed to just two when these efforts began.

As of today, one more species joins them: humans. Three official bathing spots are now open, one at Bras Marie near Île Saint-Louis in the 4th arrondissement (district), another at quai de Bercy in the 12th and one at Grenelle in the 15th.

At the Grenelle pool, which lies in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, a long line of curious – and some might say, courageous – swimmers queued up, ready to test the waters.

AlJazeera [aljazeera.com]

The iconic River Seine has reopened to swimmers in Paris, allowing people to take a dip in the French capital’s waterway for the first time in at least a century after a more than billion-euro cleanup project that made it suitable for Olympic competitions last year.

A few dozen people arrived ahead of the 8am (06:00 GMT) opening on Saturday at the Bras Marie zone in the city’s historic centre, diving into the water for the long-awaited moment under the watchful eyes of lifeguards wearing fluorescent yellow T-shirts and carrying whistles.

It was also a welcome respite from the scorching heat enveloping the city this week. Parisians and tourists alike, looking to cool off this summer, can dive in – weather permitting – at three bathing sites: one close to Paris’s Notre-Dame cathedral, another near the Eiffel Tower and a third in eastern Paris.

The swimming zones are equipped with changing rooms, showers and beach-style furniture, offering space for 150 to 300 swimmers.
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But officials reminded swimmers of potential dangers, including strong currents, boat traffic and an average depth of 3.5 metres (11 feet).

“The Seine remains a dangerous environment,” said local official Elise Lavielle earlier this week.

To mitigate that risk, lifeguards will assess visitors’ swimming abilities before allowing independent access, while a decree issued in late June introduced fines for anyone swimming outside designated areas.

The promise to lift the swimming ban dates back to 1988, when then-mayor of Paris and future President Jacques Chirac first advocated for its reversal, about 65 years after the practice was banned in 1923.

Original Submission