Swimming in the Seine: the three sites reopen this Thursday after four days of closure due to rain

Green flag for the more adventurous who want to cool off in the Seine. The three swimming pools in Paris , which had to close for four days after their inauguration due to rain , reopened this Thursday, July 10. With the return of the sun, it is once again possible to access the sites at Bras Marie (4th arrondissement), Grenelle (15th) and Bercy (12th), after receiving the latest results of the water quality tests.

Heavy rain on Sunday and Monday forced the city hall to close the pools for four days, starting the day after their inauguration on Saturday, amid a festive atmosphere. "According to our protocol, if it rains more than 10 millimeters in less than twelve hours, we do not open the swimming pool while waiting for the results of the water quality," explained Pierre Rabadan , deputy for sports at Paris city hall, specifying that it had rained 26 millimeters on Sunday and Monday.

All rainwater—which in Paris mixes with wastewater—was stored thanks to the Austerlitz basin, preventing any discharge into the Seine, he added. However, discharges can occur upstream of the capital in the event of excessive rainfall, leading to bacteriological pollution of the water.

On Saturday, more than 2,300 visitors were recorded at the three sites. As on the beaches, flags (green, yellow, and red) hoisted at the entrance indicate the river's flow and water quality. Last summer, record rainfall during the Olympic Games often made the water unsuitable for athletes to swim in, particularly due to occasionally high levels of fecal bacteria (Escherichia coli and enterococci).