Is the Seine River actually secure for swimming?

Megan Hall: Welcome to Possibly, the place we tackle large issues like the way forward for our planet and break them down into small questions with surprising solutions. I’m Megan Hall. 

This summer time, folks in Paris obtained to do one thing that was unlawful for greater than 100 years: swim within the Seine.

The river was closed to public swimming in 1923 because of pollution and boat traffic. But now, after an enormous clean-up effort, Paris officers say it’s secure to return in. So, we determined to speak to some individuals who gave it a strive.

Daniel: I’m Daniel 

Megan Hall: That’s the nephew of our founder.

Nienke: And,my title is Nienke.

Megan Hall: That’s Daniel’s associate. They have been working remotely in Paris this summer time.

Daniel: We have been simply type of, residing our life, however in Paris.

Megan Hall: They simply occurred to be there when the town reopened the Seine for swimming. So they determined to test it out.

Daniel: We went to the realm close to the Eiffel Tower that was open for swimming.

Nienke: Eventually we waited perhaps a half hour. Do you assume that’s truthful? Yeah.

Megan Hall: As they waited, they noticed a person updating an indication with particulars about climate, wind speeds, and air pollution within the river.

Daniel: He was this very kind of stern outdated man, not smiling, simply writing numbers, after which

Nienke: He wrote, uh, in French, like completely satisfied swimming.

Daniel: Happy swimming.

Megan Hall: This completely satisfied swimming was made attainable due to a push to wash up the river in time for the Paris Summer Olympics.

To do that, the city built large storage tanks for raw sewage. Before, when huge storms occurred, the sewers have been overwhelmed and launched the whole lot straight into the river. They additionally labored laborious to stop houseboats from dumping their waste into the water.

The finish consequence for swimmers like Nienke and Daniel?

Daniel: Yeah, so the water, um, itself, um, was surprisingly clear.

Nienke: It was. Kind of chilly, however very, refreshing. The water seemed virtually just a little bit blue. You might see some fish.

Megan Hall: Other Paris residents aren’t so sure about swimming in the Seine. They question whether the water is really clean enough.

Nienke: I definitely questioned, I hope that is as clear as they are saying, as a result of I’ve no method of figuring out if,  if there’s something unusual in right here. But I believe every of us additionally unintentionally had just a little style of the water, and it appeared completely tremendous. 

Daniel: It tasted scrumptious.

Megan Hall: Daniel says he hopes the Seine clean-up encourages different cities to make their rivers secure sufficient for swimming.

Daniel:  I grew up in New York and I all the time thought it could be cool to go swimming within the Hudson River and was all the time informed, no, it’s too soiled. And I believed that was very unusual, as a result of I’ve entry to parks, to the streets, and it’s simply kind of one other pure atmosphere that’s accessible as one thing you’ll be able to get pleasure from.

Nienke: I agree. I believe it modifications your relationship to the town. I believe each Dan and I’ve been in, in cities overseas the place if there’s a river we’re, we begin asking folks, oh, the place can I am going and swim? And then when the reply is like, you completely can’t, that may be harmful, that’s a really miserable and unusual realization, that there’s components of the town which might be so distinguished, just like the Seine, it’s proper there, you see it on a regular basis, I believe with the ability to entry it makes you extra linked to the town and its sources. 

Megan Hall: So far, the swimming program at the Seine has been a success, so much so that the mayor extended the season to the middle of September.

But in the event you can’t make it to Paris, there are cities within the US which have made these transformations too. Similar efforts to retailer sewage have made Narragansett Bay right here in our dwelling state of Rhode Island a lot cleaner. In truth, all over the place these sorts of enhancements are made, it’s remodeled water that was as soon as filthy and harmful.

That’s it for at the moment. You can discover extra data, or ask a query about the way in which your decisions have an effect on our planet, at askpossibly.org. You may subscribe to Possibly wherever you get your podcasts or observe us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Bluesky at  “askpossibly”

Possibly is a co-production of Brown University’s Institute for Environment and Society, Brown’s Climate Solutions Initiative, and The Public’s Radio.

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