After many days of delay and testing the water quality of the Seine River (France), the 2024 Olympic organizing committee still decided to allow the men's and women's triathlon competitions to take place on July 31.
According to the latest inspection, the Paris 2024 Olympic side affirmed that water quality standards are met. Previously, bacteria levels in the river bed increased and heavy rainfall led to wastewater overflowing into the river.
Although the amount of E. coli in the river bed is harmless to the intestines of healthy humans and animals, it can lead to diarrhea and urinary tract and intestinal infections. Therefore, competitions related to swimming on the Seine River must be stopped.
Ms. Aurélie Merle - representative of the organizing committee said that measurement and analysis units have repeatedly sampled water in the river to check the condition. At each time of day, the water index fluctuates to a certain extent.
“We know sunlight and heat have a very strong impact on water quality. Hopefully, the heat wave in France on July 30 will help improve water quality, enough for athletes to compete in swimming," Ms. Aurélie Merle shared.
Information from the Paris 2024 Olympic organizing committee caused a lot of controversy on social networks. Many people believe that the water quality of the Seine River is really unsafe for participating athletes. In particular, the constantly changing levels of E. coli also affect the competition schedule.
Before the 2024 Paris Olympics, France implemented an ambitious plan, spending 1.4 billion Euros to improve infrastructure and clean up the long-term polluted Seine River.
Renovation activities include cleaning water, building basins to collect excess rainwater, preventing wastewater from flowing into rivers, improving sewers, upgrading wastewater treatment plants...
They are also steadfast in organizing the swimming portion of the triathlon on this river.
