The level of water pollution in the Seine on the day of Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo’s swim exceeded permitted standards, Franceinfo reported on July 26, citing data from the city hall’s website.
On July 17, Hidalgo, along with the head of the 2024 Olympic organizing committee, Tony Estanguet, and the prefect of the Ile-de-France region, Marc Guillaume, took part in a swim along the river over a distance of about one hundred meters. The aim of the event was to demonstrate that the water of the Seine is suitable for hosting Olympic competitions. The swim lasted about ten minutes.
According to sources, the amount of E. coli and enterococci in the Seine exceeded the norm on the day of the swim, which causes a high risk of developing gastroenteritis.
It should be recalled that bathing in the Seine has been banned since 1923 by decree of the prefect due to the poor quality of the water. According to French President Emmanuel Macron, the State has spent more than 1.5 billion euros (140 billion rubles) on cleaning the water and the bed of the Seine.
The Paris Olympic Games have begun and will run from July 26 to August 11. According to the Olympic programme, triathlon and open water swimming competitions are being held on the Seine River.
We remind you that doctors advised taking antibiotics before swimming in dirty water.
Source: Rossa Primavera
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.