Mayor Anne Hidalgo of Paris (Ville de Paris) has fulfilled her promise today by swimming in the Seine, marking the culmination of a significant clean-up effort initiated in 2016.
The mayor of the capital shared:
If it hadn’t been for the Games, which were an accelerator, we wouldn’t have made it. It is a major legacy and an important day for the oceans and the sea.
Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris
This achievement follows a €1.4 billion investment in the Bathing Plan by the State, aimed at addressing two major sources of pollution: domestic waste and rainwater runoff. Efforts included upgrading wastewater treatment plants and constructing a massive rainwater retention basin to filter out contaminants. This work was carried out by the Eau de Paris
Despite these advancements, challenges remain, such as pollution from agriculture and industrial discharges upstream. While the Seine’s clean-up is a remarkable milestone, France still struggles to meet the water quality standards set by the European Framework Directive, with only half of its waterways achieving the desired status.
The question now is whether similar resources and efforts can be extended to all French rivers to ensure a lasting legacy of clean water nationwide.
