A comprehensive €1.4 billion cleanup project is underway to transform the noxious Seine waters into a swimming spot.
During the Summer Olympics in Paris next year, some swimming events will take place in the waters of the Seine.
It is part of an ambitious plan to clean up the river and make it safe for swimmers.
Although the river hosted swimming events during the 1900 Olympics, bathing in the Seine has been forbidden since 1923 due to danger from boat traffic and water pollution.
Now, the city wants to revive the river as a swimming spot both for the Olympics and, by 2025, for the public too.
While the banks of the Seine may be a romantic place for a stroll, its waters have become so toxic even fish struggle to survive.
As well as being a dumping ground for broken bikes and rubbish, Paris’s river is polluted by untreated wastewater.
The waterway’s main function now is to transport goods and people on boats.
However, that’s all set to change. Visitors to the city in a few years time might find themselves taking a dip in the famous waters.
A comprehensive €1.4 billion cleanup project is underway to transform the noxious Seine waters into a swimming spot.
The initiative has been dragging on for decades, but the fast-approaching Olympics have accelerated the works.
The river needs to be ready for the Olympic triathlon and open-water races by July next year, followed by the Paralympics.
The Seine will also be the centrepiece of the opening ceremony, which will take place on the waters and the banks.
The cleanup project involves cracking down on homes and houseboats emptying their wastewater into the river, and improving sewage treatment plants.
Huge storage basins are also under construction to prevent bacteria-filled wastewater spilling into the river when it rains.
