Latest news with #EvePlenel
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Seine closes to swimmers a day after its historic reopening
Parts of the Seine River closed down to swimmers on Sunday due to heavy rainfall, just one day after it reopened to the public for the first time in a century. Swimming in Paris' Seine River has been closed off to members of the public since 1923, but on Saturday morning the river lifted the swimming ban. However, those who missed the inaugural day and planned to head down to the Seine on Sunday would have found its swimming areas shut once again. The Seine stopped swimming over a century ago due to concerns over the levels of water pollution that could make people ill. The day after excited swimmers took to the waters in its three designated areas for public bathing, the celebrations were dampened when red flags flew over the zones. The wet weather raised concerns over water quality in the river, Paris City Hall said. City officials said the Seine would be assessed daily for the presence of the faecal bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Enterococci. Flags will inform bathers every day about the pollution levels, and if it rains, the sites will likely close, Paris city official Pierre Rabadan explained, according to Le Monde. Another site along the Canal St-Martin in eastern Paris was also due to welcome its first swimmers on Sunday but remained closed over the rain, which "compromises water quality', the local town hall said. Eve Plenel, the head of public health at Paris City Hall, told The Telegraph: 'The water goes through a circuit… and if it is not swimmable, we will not open it for the day or until it gets better. 'So it's impossible to open the swim station without being sure the water is absolutely clear and OK and no risk for public health.' As for how often the swimming zones would be closed, Ms Plenel said: 'It obviously depends on the weather.' 'If it rains a lot or there is any localised pollution anywhere on the Seine, then it can affect quality, of course that can happen. 'It's just like any beach in the summer. Sometimes beaches are polluted or closed and this is exactly the same.' Swimmers have been allowed to return to the Seine following a €1.4bn (£1.2bn) cleanup project tied to the Paris Olympics that hosted open water swimmer triathletes in its waters. After improving the water quality for the Games, authorities made a historic decision to reopen the Seine to bathers and constructed two new wooden decks. The idea has been floated since 1988, when then-mayor and future president Jacques Chirac promised to clear up the river within six years. While it took longer than expected, Paris will now join a number of European cities with safe-to-swim waters – so long as the rain holds off.
Sydney Morning Herald
5 days ago
- Climate
- Sydney Morning Herald
Paris' ‘filthy' river reopens to swimming after 100 years. I jumped in
In fact, it took 36 years and a herculean clean-up operation costing €1.6 billion ($2.9 billion) – including a vast run-off basin that can hold 20 Olympic swimming pools' worth of water – for his dream to come true when last year the Seine was famously opened to athletes for the Paris Olympics. Even so, heavy rain meant that only five of the 11 scheduled events were able to take place. Now, authorities are confident they have improved matters even further and to prove this point, Eve Plenel, the head of public health for Paris City Hall, was up for a dip. 'There is no need to worry. The water is tested every 15 minutes for everything. If (it) is not swimmable, it will be closed until it is, just like beaches,' she said, insisting the Seine was now among the most closely scrutinised waterways in France. Personally, I was more concerned about the prospect of a close encounter with the pacu, the testicle-biting fish that was caught a decade ago in the Seine. 'I know they eat pigeons' I also struggled to erase images of a 2.17 metres giant catfish caught last month within a few hundred yards of the bathing zone, cut off from the rest of the river by a few fig-leaf buoys. I know they eat pigeons. Small children at a push? Thankfully, the bathing area is out of bounds for the under-14s. Another worry was being squashed by a bateau-mouche, the tourist boats that ply the river and point out the sights. Some 300 craft pass the bras-Marie every day. Paris town hall officials assured me they were barred from passing during bathing opening hours – to the reported fury of tourist operators. Perhaps all this – plus the coolish weather after a blistering heatwave – explained the relatively modest queue that formed ahead of the 8am opening time when Paris' Socialist mayor Anne Hidalgo came in person to see the first bathers off. Loading In the queue was Noémie Wira, 30. 'I'm a Parisienne and it's such a thrill to be among the first to take a dip. It's taken a century, but the promise has been kept. It's great to say our generation can swim in the Seine in three amazing locations. Am I worried about my health? I'll let you know in three days,' she told me. Sarah Hosking, 53, originally from Vancouver, Canada, and a Parisienne for the past 17 years, said she felt 'a little leery about opening my mouth' but that it was a 'dream come true' to be able to swim in central Paris, 'just like in Copenhagen '. She sang the mayor's praises for 'pushing it through'. 'Enough of doing things that are just for tourists. We want stuff for us.' Only on Tuesday, Paris was sweltering under record 40°C temperatures but the air was almost chilly as I approached the water. However, there was relief when we were informed the temperature was a bath-like 25C. I strode through the turnstile without a ticket – all bathing areas are totally free and there is no time limit, but the bras-Marie zone is limited to 150 bathers at a time (the other sites can hold 300 and 150 respectively). A green flag fluttered over the wooden decking that serves as a changing area with lockers to store belongings. There are no changing rooms. A yellow flag signals caution, and red is no-go. Caps and goggles are not compulsory but all bathers are required to be tethered to a fetching yellow inflatable tow float. The next hurdle was the obligatory 'swim test'. 'Well, it's not really a test, we just observe people's first few strokes and fish them out if they don't pass muster,' said lifeguard Trady, who kept an eagle eye on bathers. 'This is a small, protected area but the Seine is a dangerous place,' he warned. Indeed, a sign outside points out potential threats: passing boats, currents, and 'gripping plants'. Intriguingly, it was only in French. Could this be some covert plan to reduce over-tourism?, I mused. But now, the moment had finally arrived and I glided into the river and took a few strokes before plunging below. It felt exhilarating and frankly historic to be among the first 100 members of the public to bathe in Paris since 1923. Loading Parisian Hector Pellegars, 27, said: 'I didn't expect it but there was a feeling of intimacy between me, the city and the river which I have never experienced. It was also very weird as the image I had of the Seine when growing up in Paris was an open-air sewer. Now the water is clean enough for us to swim in and it's fantastic.' Paddling past was Tom, a British 24-year-old from Bath now living in Lyon. He said: 'In England, I've swum in some pretty grim rivers. Now we realise just how grim they are with all the water company problems going on, so this doesn't bother me much, frankly.' Could it catch on across the channel in the UK? 'The Thames is a bit of a long shot. But if they've done it here, why not?,' he said. It was a delightful and surreal experience to view Paris from water level after all these years of observing it from the banks. Indeed, it had become a running joke for me to predict: 'One day I will literally go 'in Seine'.'
The Age
5 days ago
- Climate
- The Age
Paris' ‘filthy' river reopens to swimming after 100 years. I jumped in
In fact, it took 36 years and a herculean clean-up operation costing €1.6 billion ($2.9 billion) – including a vast run-off basin that can hold 20 Olympic swimming pools' worth of water – for his dream to come true when last year the Seine was famously opened to athletes for the Paris Olympics. Even so, heavy rain meant that only five of the 11 scheduled events were able to take place. Now, authorities are confident they have improved matters even further and to prove this point, Eve Plenel, the head of public health for Paris City Hall, was up for a dip. 'There is no need to worry. The water is tested every 15 minutes for everything. If (it) is not swimmable, it will be closed until it is, just like beaches,' she said, insisting the Seine was now among the most closely scrutinised waterways in France. Personally, I was more concerned about the prospect of a close encounter with the pacu, the testicle-biting fish that was caught a decade ago in the Seine. 'I know they eat pigeons' I also struggled to erase images of a 2.17 metres giant catfish caught last month within a few hundred yards of the bathing zone, cut off from the rest of the river by a few fig-leaf buoys. I know they eat pigeons. Small children at a push? Thankfully, the bathing area is out of bounds for the under-14s. Another worry was being squashed by a bateau-mouche, the tourist boats that ply the river and point out the sights. Some 300 craft pass the bras-Marie every day. Paris town hall officials assured me they were barred from passing during bathing opening hours – to the reported fury of tourist operators. Perhaps all this – plus the coolish weather after a blistering heatwave – explained the relatively modest queue that formed ahead of the 8am opening time when Paris' Socialist mayor Anne Hidalgo came in person to see the first bathers off. Loading In the queue was Noémie Wira, 30. 'I'm a Parisienne and it's such a thrill to be among the first to take a dip. It's taken a century, but the promise has been kept. It's great to say our generation can swim in the Seine in three amazing locations. Am I worried about my health? I'll let you know in three days,' she told me. Sarah Hosking, 53, originally from Vancouver, Canada, and a Parisienne for the past 17 years, said she felt 'a little leery about opening my mouth' but that it was a 'dream come true' to be able to swim in central Paris, 'just like in Copenhagen '. She sang the mayor's praises for 'pushing it through'. 'Enough of doing things that are just for tourists. We want stuff for us.' Only on Tuesday, Paris was sweltering under record 40°C temperatures but the air was almost chilly as I approached the water. However, there was relief when we were informed the temperature was a bath-like 25C. I strode through the turnstile without a ticket – all bathing areas are totally free and there is no time limit, but the bras-Marie zone is limited to 150 bathers at a time (the other sites can hold 300 and 150 respectively). A green flag fluttered over the wooden decking that serves as a changing area with lockers to store belongings. There are no changing rooms. A yellow flag signals caution, and red is no-go. Caps and goggles are not compulsory but all bathers are required to be tethered to a fetching yellow inflatable tow float. The next hurdle was the obligatory 'swim test'. 'Well, it's not really a test, we just observe people's first few strokes and fish them out if they don't pass muster,' said lifeguard Trady, who kept an eagle eye on bathers. 'This is a small, protected area but the Seine is a dangerous place,' he warned. Indeed, a sign outside points out potential threats: passing boats, currents, and 'gripping plants'. Intriguingly, it was only in French. Could this be some covert plan to reduce over-tourism?, I mused. But now, the moment had finally arrived and I glided into the river and took a few strokes before plunging below. It felt exhilarating and frankly historic to be among the first 100 members of the public to bathe in Paris since 1923. Loading Parisian Hector Pellegars, 27, said: 'I didn't expect it but there was a feeling of intimacy between me, the city and the river which I have never experienced. It was also very weird as the image I had of the Seine when growing up in Paris was an open-air sewer. Now the water is clean enough for us to swim in and it's fantastic.' Paddling past was Tom, a British 24-year-old from Bath now living in Lyon. He said: 'In England, I've swum in some pretty grim rivers. Now we realise just how grim they are with all the water company problems going on, so this doesn't bother me much, frankly.' Could it catch on across the channel in the UK? 'The Thames is a bit of a long shot. But if they've done it here, why not?,' he said. It was a delightful and surreal experience to view Paris from water level after all these years of observing it from the banks. Indeed, it had become a running joke for me to predict: 'One day I will literally go 'in Seine'.'
The Independent
6 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Seine closes to swimmers a day after its historic reopening
Parts of the Seine River closed down to swimmers on Sunday due to heavy rainfall, just one day after it reopened to the public for the first time in a century. Swimming in Paris ' Seine River has been closed off to members of the public since 1923, but on Saturday morning the river lifted the swimming ban. However, those who missed the inaugural day and planned to head down to the Seine on Sunday would have found its swimming areas shut once again. The Seine stopped swimming over a century ago due to concerns over the levels of water pollution that could make people ill. The day after excited swimmers took to the waters in its three designated areas for public bathing, the celebrations were dampened when red flags flew over the zones. The wet weather raised concerns over water quality in the river, Paris City Hall said. City officials said the Seine would be assessed daily for the presence of the faecal bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Enterococci. Flags will inform bathers every day about the pollution levels, and if it rains, the sites will likely close, Paris city official Pierre Rabadan explained, according to Le Monde. Another site along the Canal St-Martin in eastern Paris was also due to welcome its first swimmers on Sunday but remained closed over the rain, which "compromises water quality', the local town hall said. Eve Plenel, the head of public health at Paris City Hall, told The Telegraph: 'The water goes through a circuit… and if it is not swimmable, we will not open it for the day or until it gets better. 'So it's impossible to open the swim station without being sure the water is absolutely clear and OK and no risk for public health.' As for how often the swimming zones would be closed, Ms Plenel said: 'It obviously depends on the weather.' 'If it rains a lot or there is any localised pollution anywhere on the Seine, then it can affect quality, of course that can happen. 'It's just like any beach in the summer. Sometimes beaches are polluted or closed and this is exactly the same.' Swimmers have been allowed to return to the Seine following a €1.4bn (£1.2bn) cleanup project tied to the Paris Olympics that hosted open water swimmer triathletes in its waters. After improving the water quality for the Games, authorities made a historic decision to reopen the Seine to bathers and constructed two new wooden decks. The idea has been floated since 1988, when then-mayor and future president Jacques Chirac promised to clear up the river within six years. While it took longer than expected, Paris will now join a number of European cities with safe-to-swim waters – so long as the rain holds off.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
River Seine closed to swimmers one day after historic opening
Parts of the River Seine have been closed to swimmers one day after its historic reopening because of heavy rain. Three areas of the river that run through the capital were opened to excited Parisians on Saturday after a £1.2 billion clean-up operation. The zones, within view of the Eiffel Tower and the bras-Marie on the right bank of the île Saint-Louis, were set to be open every day from July 5 to Aug 31 2025, 'as long as safety conditions are met: moderate current, water quality'. But red flags at all three designated zones on Sunday indicated the Seine was temporarily off-limits because of water quality concerns caused by wet weather. On rainy days, the mid-19th-century Parisian sewage system often overflows, causing rain and waste water to pour into the river. Authorities built a vast run-off reservoir, which can hold 20 Olympic swimming pools' worth of water, in order to prevent this problem. The river is also assessed 'every 15 minutes' for the presence of faecal bacteria E. coli and enterococci. Eve Plenel, the head of public health Paris City Hall, told The Telegraph: 'The water goes through a circuit…and if it is not swimmable, we will not open it for the day or until it gets better. So it's impossible to open the swim station without being sure the water is absolutely clear and OK and no risk for public health.' When asked whether that would happen often, she said: 'It obviously depends on the weather.' 'If it rains a lot or there is any localised pollution anywhere on the Seine then it can affect quality, of course that can happen. It's just like any beach in the summer. Sometimes beaches are polluted or closed and this is exactly the same.' Paris banned swimming in the Seine in 1923 due to pollution. Jacques Chirac, the then mayor and future president, promised to clean it up in 1988 within six years but it took far longer than expected.
