Samples taken from the river showed that levels of E. coli were above the recommended limit at four different sites for almost the entire week of June 10 to 16, according to Le Monde with AFP.
“The samples from the Seine do not meet the standards that we will have this summer,” added Marc Guillaume, head of the Ile-de-France region, on Friday.
The Seine was set to become a centerpiece of the Paris Olympics, featuring prominently in both the opening ceremony and various swimming events.
The city of Paris has invested $1.5 billion in cleaning the river ahead of the games, with regular testing of bacterial levels to ensure the safety of athletes.
But officials say heavy rains have derailed those plans so far, leading to high levels of two types of fecal bacteria, including E. Coli, which is “the species of coliform bacteria that is the best indicator of pollution fecal,” according to the New York Times. York State Department of Health.
“Water quality remains degraded due to… rain, high flow rates, little sunshine (and) temperatures below seasonal norms,” indicates a weekly report published by the Paris region and the town hall, according to Le Monde with AFP.
Paris’ 19th-century sewer system can become overwhelmed by bad weather, leading to urban runoff that carries pollutants into streams and rivers.
The Seine has been closed to swimming since 1923 due to high levels of pollution.
Last year, triathletes took part in a test event in the Seine, with some concerns about their safety.
Norwegian Olympic gold medalist Kristian Blummenfelt said, “I always dive with my mouth open. It won’t be funny if I wake up tomorrow morning with… whatever,” according to ESPN.
A number of other test events on the river were canceled due to pollution levels and bad weather.
Nevertheless, Guillaume said he was “confident” that the swimming events would go ahead as planned.
“At one point or another, the weather is going to change, it’s going to stop raining and we’re going to have sunshine… It’s in summer conditions that we need to be able to examine swimmability,” he said. said, Axios reported.
The 2024 Olympic Games will begin on July 26.
The overall economic impact of the Olympic Games on the Paris region could vary between 6.7 billion euros and 11.1 billion euros, or approximately 7.1 to 11.8 billion dollars, according to a study published by the Center for Sports Law and Economics.
Business Insider has contacted the Paris 2024 Olympics for comment.
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