You now have a new item to add to your Parisian bucket list.
A trip to Paris begs museum and park visits, coffee or hot chocolate at a chic cafe, and a selfie with the world’s most famous tower, if it’s your first time especially. A new exciting development, however, can now be included in your Parisian bucket list: a swim in the Seine.
Nope, you’re not hallucinating. You can, indeed, now enjoy a dip in the City of Light’s iconic river, as reported by the Associated Press. The news, which most Parisians joyfully welcomed over the weekend, comes after a ban which took effect in 1932, implemented largely due to pollution and risks posed by the river’s busy traffic.
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The famed waterway, equal parts loved for its scenic views and loathed for being a polluted, boat-choked tourist trap, has opened up for those who love to swim to enjoy. The move is part of the Olympics legacy of the city, an ambitious 1.4 billion euro ($1.5 billion) cleanup project that made the Seine suitable for some competitions, specifically triathlon and marathon swimming.
The AP mentioned that there are three new designated swimming sites: one near the Eiffel Tower, another in the eastern section of the city, and one close to the Notre Dame Cathedral—which also reopened several months ago after extensive restoration work following the devastating 2019 fire. It should be noted that taking a dip outside these bathing areas is still banned for safety reasons. The sites are free to use, supervised by lifeguards, and are open daily throughout the blistering summer season.
EuroNews reported that a color-coded flag system is in place: green for “go ahead take the plunge” and red for “uh-oh don’t even attempt or you might regret it” (well, that’s just me being dramatic, but you get the point, right?).
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Despite this happy development, which perfectly coincides with a dangerous heatwave, some Parisians aren’t raring to dive into the Seine’s waters. This is not without reason, as the river isn’t exactly inviting with its murky color; there’s the occasional floating litter; and tourist boats congregate in some places. There’s also the rather tricky business of knowing when bacteria levels are fluctuating, which are usually affected by the weather.
The city’s authorities, on the other hand, assure the public that the Seine’s water quality results are consistently in line with European regulations. Paris Deputy Mayor Pierre Rabadan said water is tested daily to confirm it’s safe to swim. Last year during the Olympics, World Aquatics also confirmed that the river’s conditions met the accepted thresholds. On a side note, however, several athletes became ill after competing in the triathlon and open water races, but in most cases it was not clear if the river was to blame for their sickness.
Despite all the assurances, some experts still express skepticism at the Seine’s suitability for swimming. Scientist Dan Angelescu, for instance, has been independently testing the river’s water quality for years. In the same Associated Press and EuroNews reports, he warned that the current official testing methods “may not accurately reflect the real-time risks.” He emphasized that the water quality in the Seine is “highly variable” and that there are “only a few days” in the swimming season the water quality is acceptable for swimming.
“All we can say is that we can raise a hand and say look, the science today does not support the current assessment of water safety used in the rivers around Paris, and we think that there is a major risk that is not being captured at all,” he said.
Of course, one cannot be too careful. It’s a comforting thought, however, that there are now over 35 species of fish swimming in the Seine’s waters, compared to only a handful in the 1970s. Will the humans follow suit and swim in droves? Let’s wait and see as the Parisian summer rolls by.
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