Clean enough for a dip? Paris set to reopen the Seine for swimming, but locals aren’t so sure

Published on 04/07/2025 - 14:04 GMT+2

Public swimming successful Paris’ Seine River is owed to make a comeback complete a period aft it was banned pinch conscionable a fewer exceptions.

Starting connected 5 July, 3 nationalist swimming sites will unfastened on nan Seine River - 1 adjacent Notre Dame, different by nan Eiffel Tower, and a 3rd successful eastbound Paris.

The reopening is portion of 1 of nan French capital’ns astir eager Olympic legacies. At a costs of astir $1.5 cardinal (€1.27bn), nan stream has undergone a monolithic cleanup cognition to toggle shape it from a polluted, boat-choked artery into a swimmable municipality oasis.

The sites will beryllium free to use, supervised by lifeguards, and will run connected a regular schedule passim nan summer. A colour-coded emblem strategy - greenish for safe, reddish for nope - will fto visitors cognize whether it’s aquatics clip aliases sunbathe-only time.

But galore Parisians stay hesitant connected whether aliases not to return nan plunge. The Seine’s aboveground tin still look murky, litter floats by, and germs levels are known to up and down pinch nan weather.

Dan Angelescu, a intelligence and laminitis of Fluidion, has been independently testing nan river’s h2o value for years. He warns that nan existent charismatic testing methods whitethorn not accurately bespeak nan real-time risks: "What we spot is that nan h2o value successful nan Seine is highly adaptable and it is, location are only a fewer days successful a swimming play wherever I would opportunity h2o value is acceptable for swimming, according to nan regulations presently successful place."

"All we tin opportunity is that we tin raise a manus and opportunity look, nan subject coming does not support nan existent appraisal of h2o information utilized successful nan successful nan rivers astir Paris, and we deliberation that location is awesome consequence that is not being captured astatine all."

But pinch complete 35 type of food now calling nan Seine location - compared to conscionable a fistful successful nan 1970s - it’s clear nan cleanup has had an impact. But whether Parisians will travel nan food into nan h2o remains to beryllium seen.

Check retired nan video supra for much connected nan Seine swimming initiative.