After more than a century banned for swimmers, the Sena River was reopened to the public on Saturday (5). The release happened after analyzes confirmed that the water no longer has health risks, the result of a wide depollution project.
On the first day of liberation, residents and tourists took advantage of the heat to dive into the waters of the river. The City Hall set up a structure with deck and buoys to ensure the safety of bathers, monitored by lifeguards all the time. Three areas were demarcated and open to the public, offering official leisure points on the banks of Seine.
Rio’s environmental rehabilitation required decades of work and a total investment of $ 1.5 billion, about $ 9 billion. Pollution had worsened in the last century, with increasing navigation and the absence of proper sewage treatment, making the bath impractical and dangerous.
French authorities accompanied the reopening, considered historical. The release of the bath in Seine is a milestone in the city’s environmental recovery and integrates preparations for the Paris Olympic Games that took place in 2024, when the river was the scene of some aquatic tests.
