The people of Paris will soon be able to swim in the Seine, thanks to a massive clean-up operation of the river that's in the final phases. According to the BBC, three open-air swimming areas will finally open in 2025, a year after the Olympics take place in the country. The French government will spend $1.6 billion on the Seine regeneration project that is being universally hailed as a success.
The outlet also said that three Olympic and Paralympic events - triathlon, marathon swimming and Para-triathlon - are scheduled to take place in the Seine in 2024.
"When people see athletes swimming in the Seine with no health problems, they'll be confident themselves to start going back in the Seine," Pierre Rabadan, deputy Paris mayor in charge of the Olympics, told the BBC. "It's our contribution for the future."
Swimming in Seine was banned a 100 years ago because of the filthy water of the river. The water quality declined because of the industrial sewage being dumped into it and the exploding population of the French capital.
By 1960s, only three species of fish were recorded in the city.
The first promise about Seine was made by former French President Jacques Chirac 25 years ago but it couldn't be realised during his lifetime.
According to The Guardian, the chosen sites for these bathing zones will be located opposite the central Ile Saint-Louis in the city centre, by the Quai de Grenelle in the 15th arrondissement to the west, and at Bercy in the eastern 12th arrondissement. "To ensure safety, these areas will be monitored by lifeguards and marked by buoys," Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo's said earlier this month.
Furthermore, the city hall has revealed that the bathing zones will be easily accessible, with pontoons and facilities on the quaysides for swimmers to change, shower, and keep their belongings secure.
The massive clean-up project has been underway for the past seven years. Regular water tests conducted last year indicated that waterborne bacteria, notably E coli and enterococci, are now at safe levels for swimming over 90 per cent of the time.
Authorities have assured the public that extensive daily testing will be conducted when the river is officially opened for bathing.
