(Paris) Water flowing in the Seine shows a dangerous level of concentration of E. coli bacteria, according to test results revealed Friday, less than two months before the start of the swimming competitions at the Paris Olympics.
Contamination levels during the first eight days of June, after heavy rainfall in Paris, are beyond the limits considered safe for athletes.
The report was published by monitoring group Eau de Paris a day after a senior International Olympic Committee (IOC) official said there was “no reason to doubt” the races would be held in a historic stretch of the Seine in the city center, near the Eiffel Tower.
The first Olympic event in the Seine will be the men’s triathlon, including 1.5 km swim, on July 30. The women’s triathlon will follow the next day, then the mixed relay event will take place on August 5.
The open water marathons of more than 10 km are planned for August 8 and 9, for women and men respectively, in historically polluted waters whose decontamination in preparation for the Games required an investment of US 1.5 billion.
“We are confident that we will swim in the Seine this summer,” the IOC’s Christophe Dubi said Thursday at a press briefing after hearing an update from Paris city officials and Olympic organizers.
“Despite this publicly expressed confidence from the IOC, final approval for holding these events safely for athletes should rest with the international swimming and triathlon federations.
The quality of the waters of the Seine for the Olympic Games has been in doubt since certain test events planned for last August were canceled, also after heavy rains unusually for the season.
According to European standards, the safe concentration limit of E. coli is 900 colony forming units per 100 milliliters. The World Triathlon Federation uses the same criteria to determine sufficient water quality for competitions.
The water quality of rivers and rivers in large cities can be affected by many factors, from runoff to the dumping of chemicals, sometimes illegally, to maritime traffic.
Earlier this week, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo reiterated her promise to swim in the river before the competition began. On Tuesday, she confirmed that her swim had been postponed until after France’s snap elections, which end on July 7.
