Paris: The River Seine will likely be a centrepiece of the Paris 2024 Olympic Video games, with the opening ceremony happening on the river, a ship parade and two occasions, the marathon swim and the swim leg of the triathlon scheduled to be held there. Nonetheless, air pollution ranges within the Seine have raised considerations in regards to the well being of athletes.
The monitoring group (State and Metropolis of Paris) publishes weekly outcomes based mostly on analyses of the water in Eau de Paris. The primary three bulletins in June indicated that the water high quality was inadequate to permit bathing. Nonetheless, the most recent information printed on Thursday point out that the river was appropriate for bathing on six out of 9 days between June 24 and July 2.
Circumstances for the river to be appropriate for swimming?
The analysers measure the extent of two micro organism: E. coli (Escherichia coli) and Enterococcus faecalis. Based on European requirements, the secure restrict for E. coli is 900 colony-forming items (cfu) per 100 millilitres, whereas the brink for Enterococcus is 330 cfu/100 ml.
Elements that affect water high quality?
Based on Benjamin Raigneau, Director of Water High quality on the Metropolis of Paris, 4 principal elements affect water air pollution.
» Rain: Extra rain means extra polluting runoff.
» UV Index: The upper the UV index, the sooner the micro organism kills.
» Temperature: Elevated temperature can destroy micro organism. Whether or not the water temperature is 16 levels Celsius (60 Fahrenheit) or above 22 Celsius (71 Fahrenheit), because it usually is in summer time, the distinction is important.
» The circulate of the river: The sooner it flows, the higher the air pollution.
Measures taken to enhance water high quality?
The town of Paris has constructed a storage tank with a capability of 46,000 cubic metres of wastewater to considerably cut back the chance of air pollution of the Seine.
As soon as rainwater is collected within the Austerlitz pond (a big 30-metre-deep construction, the scale of a dozen Olympic swimming swimming pools), it flows via a tunnel to a remedy plant. When the water meets the required sanitary standards, it’s discharged into the Seine.
How is the choice to permit swimming made?
Each night, the day earlier than every familiarisation session (athletes' swimming) and earlier than every competitors, a technical committee meets to carry collectively all of the stakeholders concerned in the issue of water high quality within the Seine.
On the finish of this technical committee assembly, an preliminary evaluation of the climate situations is carried out.
A closing assembly with all gamers concerned will likely be held at three.30am on the day of the competitors.
What if the water will not be appropriate for swimming on D-day?
The Worldwide Federation concerned within the sport decides whether or not the water is appropriate for swimming or not. “There are contingency days deliberate for the summer time of 2024 for each sports activities, which is able to give us some room for manoeuvre,” organisers informed Reuters.
“As well as, the decision-making course of will likely be extra refined and exact than ever, because the Eau de Paris laboratory will analyse the water twice a day.”
If, regardless of the postponements, the competitors can not happen, the marathon swimming occasion will likely be held on the Vaires-sur-Marne reserve, the place the rowing and canoeing occasions are held, and the triathlon will likely be remodeled right into a duathlon.