They report a excessive focus of micro organism and extreme stream within the Seine

Paris. Distressing countdown for the organizers of Paris 2024: lower than a month earlier than the opening ceremony of the Video games, the Seine continues to be not prepared, attributable to extreme stream and excessive concentrations of micro organism.

The enduring river that runs via the French capital is about to be one of many major sights of the Video games, because the imposing setting for the opening ceremony on 26 July and for the triathlon and open water swimming occasions.

Though the wet and grey spring has given approach to a begin to summer time worthy of the identify, dry and sunny, the rainfall of latest weeks has had nice hydrological penalties.

The outcomes of the river water high quality analyzes revealed this Friday by the Paris Metropolis Council and the prefecture of the area, with information from June 17 to 23, reveal a big improve within the focus of fecal micro organism with respect to the 2 previous weeks.

“Unfavorable context”

The focus of Escherichia coli and enterococci shouldn’t exceed respectively 1,000 and 400 models per ml of water for bathing to be approved, however within the case of the previous, initially of the week analyzed, a peak of 13,000 was reached, if effectively it was decreased to between 2 thousand and 6 thousand on the weekend.

As for the opposite micro organism, whose values ​​have to be between 100 and 500 CFU/100 ml, they far exceeded the barrier of a thousand, and even 2 thousand at occasions.

“Water high quality stays degraded attributable to an unfavourable hydrological context: rain, excessive stream, little daylight, temperatures under regular for this time of yr and air pollution upstream,” the town council and the prefecture mentioned.

“We hope that the state of affairs will enhance this week, taking into consideration the climate forecast,” he added. Afp the prefecture of the Paris area.

Prefect Marc Guillaume had already warned on Wednesday that swimming wouldn’t be allowed initially of July.

Time is of the essence: along with the opening ceremony parade, the aquatic triathlon occasion is scheduled to happen on July 30 and 31, in addition to August 5, and the open water swimming occasion on August 8 and 9. The paratriathlon is scheduled for September 1-2.

Within the occasion of intense rainfall, untreated water (a mix of rain and wastewater) can find yourself within the river, a state of affairs that the retention works inaugurated simply earlier than the Video games are designed to forestall.

The town council and the prefecture mentioned that the rainfall on June 17 and 18 allowed the Austerlitz dam, which was inaugurated initially of Might, to function for the primary time.

If these infrastructures usually are not ample within the occasion of heavy rain, the organizers’ plan B is to postpone the scheduled occasions for just a few days.

As much as six occasions extra water

The issue will not be solely bacteriological, but additionally certainly one of stream, because the river stream reached, throughout the week analysed, six occasions greater than typical, with a peak of 666 cubic metres per second on Sunday 23 July, when the traditional stream on this interval is between 100 and 150 cubic metres.

Because of this, the rehearsal for the opening ceremony scheduled for Monday needed to be postponed.

Though it dropped considerably later, it has remained steady at round 430 m2/s since Thursday.

Extreme stream will not be solely harmful for swimmers, but additionally poses issues for the nautical parade scheduled for the opening ceremony, because it will increase the velocity of the boats by which the delegations will journey and can disrupt the stream. timing of a millimetric spectacle.

The French meteorological company is predicting additional rain for the primary week of July and it’s nonetheless too early to make predictions for the three weeks remaining till the Video games.

The organizers wish to stay “assured” that the whole lot will likely be resolved sooner, however relying on the whims of the climate is at all times a danger.