If you've ever dreamed of swimming under the Paris sky, watching the Eiffel Tower reflected in the waves of the river, maybe you eat too heavy food? Yet, now you will be rehabilitated: after the bike map, the Ville Lumière has an ambitious plan, to reopen the waters of the Seine to swimming. And he wants to do it now, not in the distant future.
Swimming in the Seine? Back to the Future
It's a return to the old, actually. Did you know that the Seine was once very popular with swimmers, and even hosted swimming events at the 1900 Olympics?
Unfortunately in the "modern" era it was a miracle destined to vanish: and in fact, in 1923 the authorities said enough by closing the Seine to swimming. You can imagine the problems: safety, pollution and traffic.
Now, however, we are on the road to a sensational comeback. The Paris of the future could see you bathing with a view of the Eiffel Tower, and the deputy mayor Emmanuel Gregoire it's safe which will be “very romantic”.
The ambitious (and expensive) plan to clean up the capital's river
This will be no mean feat. Paris's "Swim Plan" calls for new underground pipes, tanks and pumps to block bacteria from entering the river. Instead of purifying the water, the project will go awry by focusing on preventing the flow of untreated water.
The goal is to do this before the 2024 Summer Olympics. If all goes as planned, the Seine could host some aquatic sporting events and become accessible to the public later.
Difficult, but exhilarating
In addition to the crazy cost of the operation (how many madeleines can you buy with one and a half billion euros?) there are other risks. An example: if it rains incessantly for a week before the races, the quality of the water in the Seine may not be adequate. If this occurs, events should be postponed until the river is safe for swimming again: and this may take a few days.
If all goes well, though, Olympic athletes will be the first to test the waters. It is expected to open to the public in 2025: the Seine and the Marne (one of the tributaries) will offer swimmers access to as many as 20 areas.
Dive in, the water is très jolie!
