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.
The current high water level and increased flow velocity of the river could also affect the opening ceremony of the Games, the newspaper Libération reported.
For the first time in Olympic history, the opening ceremony is to be held in the heart of the host city rather than in a stadium.
On July 26, around 160 boats will carry teams and thousands of athletes on a scenic, 6-kilometre route across the Seine from the Pont d'Austerlitz to the Trocadéro.
However, with an increased flow speed, the boats would complete the route 15 minutes faster than planned, disrupting the carefully calculated timetable, Libération reported.
