Less than a month before the start of the Olympic Games in Paris, the water quality of the Seine river is still not good enough to organize competitions there as planned, according to a water quality report published on Friday.
"Water quality continues to be impaired due to unfavourable hydrological conditions - rainfall, high flow velocity, low solar radiation, temperatures below the seasonal norm and pollution in the upper reaches of the river," the report stated.
Around €1.4 billion ($1.5 billion) were invested in wastewater treatment plants and the sewage system in the greater Paris area with a view to the Olympic Games to enable the outdoor swimming competitions in the Seine against a Parisian backdrop.
During heavy rainfall in the penultimate week of June, a retention basin costing around €90 million was used for the first time.
This basin can prevent wastewater from being discharged into the Seine during heavy rainfall, which was previously the practice in such weather conditions. Nevertheless, the contamination of the Seine with pathogens is still too high.
At higher temperatures and lower water levels, these pathogens are broken down more quickly, according to city officials. They are now simply hoping for better weather.
