Paris: For the first time in more than a century, Parisians and visitors took to the waters of the River Seine as authorities officially reopened the iconic waterway for public swimming.
The move comes after a massive clean-up effort, fast-tracked by last year’s Paris Olympics, which used the river as a venue for several events.
Three designated swimming areas along the Seine in central Paris are now open to the public and can welcome more than 1,000 swimmers daily until August 31, officials announced.
The reopening marks the culmination of years of environmental efforts aimed at restoring the Seine’s water quality, once considered too polluted for recreational use. Driven by the need to host Olympic swimming and triathlon events, the city invested heavily in infrastructure improvements.
Tens of thousands of homes were connected to the city’s sewer system, wastewater treatment plants were upgraded, and giant rainwater storage tanks were built to prevent raw sewage from spilling into the river during storms.
Though heavy rains last summer forced delays to some Olympic events, the competitions eventually went ahead as planned, boosting confidence in the river’s safety for public use.
To safeguard swimmers, authorities are conducting daily water quality tests, utilizing a flag system that indicates green for open and red for closed, mirroring beach safety protocols. So far, swimmers have praised the experience and the quality of the water.
Beyond the three sites within Paris, 14 additional swimming areas are set to open along the Seine and Marne rivers outside the capital. Two of these sites on the Marne have already opened in June.
The return of public swimming to the Seine not only revives a beloved tradition but also stands as a symbol of Paris’s commitment to sustainability, urban renewal, and community wellbeing, offering Parisians and tourists alike a chance to make history, one swim at a time.
