Swimming in the Seine in Paris: the first swimmers have entered the water, under close supervision
A year after the Olympic athletes, the first swimmers entered the waters of the Seine on Saturday morning, July 5, equipped with yellow floats, in the heart of Paris, an Agence France-Presse journalist observed. Swimming in the river had been prohibited since 1923. At 8 a.m., several dozen people dove into 25°C water under the close supervision of lifeguards in fluorescent yellow T-shirts, reported Pierre Rabadan, deputy mayor of Paris for sports, on RMC Saturday morning.
At the Grenelle arm, near the Eiffel Tower, at the Marie arm, opposite the Île Saint-Louis, and at Bercy, near the François-Mitterrand library, pools equipped with pontoons, ladders, beach furniture, showers, and changing rooms await residents of the Île-de-France region and tourists alike. They can enjoy them free of charge until August 31, weather permitting.
The Marie arm (center) can accommodate 150 people at a time, while Bercy (east) can accommodate up to 700 people, including 300 in the swimming area. The Grenelle site (west), the only one with a secure pool for families with a bottom, has a capacity of 200 people. A water sports center will offer free kayaking.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo (Socialist Party), in the presence of Sports Minister Marie Barsacq, is scheduled to inaugurate the three sites, starting with the Bras Marie site. This is where she swam last year, before the start of the Olympic Games, more than thirty years after Jacques Chirac made the promise.
"One of my predecessors, then mayor of Paris, dreamed of a Seine where everyone could swim. Tomorrow, his promise will be kept," Emmanuel Macron wrote on X.
Dangerous environmentA promised legacy of the Olympics, swimming in the Seine primarily responds to a need to adapt to climate change in the capital, where heatwaves are expected to increase in frequency and intensity. More than €1.4 billion has been invested to improve water quality upstream of the river, with wastewater capture works to prevent it from flowing into the river. But given that in Paris, rainwater and wastewater mix in a single network, the only solution in the event of heavy rainfall is to discharge the overflow into the Seine. The heavy rains recorded during the Olympics often made the water unsuitable for swimming for athletes.
This summer, just like at the beach, green, yellow, and red flags will indicate the Seine's flow rate and water quality, analyzed by instantaneous probes and cultured samples. If the lights are red, swimming will be closed.
It will take place under close supervision, to the point that each swimmer will have to have their water skills assessed by a lifeguard before swimming independently in the pools – most of which are bottomless, with an average depth of 3.50 metres.
Because the river is a living body of water that remains a dangerous environment, the authorities remind us. "There is a risk of drowning due to the mud and clinging plants, strong currents, the risk of hydrocution and river traffic," recalls sub-prefect Elise Lavielle, specifying that there were "thirteen deaths in the Seine in 2024" and already "three this year" .
While the high temperatures may tempt some to take to the water outside of authorized areas, a prefectural decree was issued at the end of June to fine wild swimming. River controls are also being stepped up in Paris, Europe's leading river port for passenger transport, for boat drivers. The Bras Marie site, a nerve center for river traffic, will only be open in the morning, following negotiations with boatmen. Other permanent sites are under consideration for summer 2026.
The ongoing work to clean up the river downstream from Paris gives hope for the installation, next year, of new bathing areas on the outskirts of the capital, such as Île Monsieur (Hauts-de-Seine) and Île Saint-Denis (Seine-Saint-Denis). Four sites have already opened to swimmers in the Marne, including the one at Joinville-le-Pont (Val-de-Marne). The main tributary of the Seine has been closed to swimming since the 1970s.
The World with AFP
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