Paris is cleaning up the river Seine. Can it be done in time for the Olympics? | AFP

Going for a dip in the Seine on a hot summer's day has been the pipedream of many Parisians since swimming in the river was formally banned a century ago. But floating on your back under the Eiffel Tower could very soon become reality thanks to the Paris Olympics. The river will be the star of the opening ceremony of the Games on 26 July and will host the triathlon and the swimming marathon. Then, if all goes well, next summer Parisians and tourists will be able to swim in it too. Some 1.4 billion euros has been spent on colossal public works to counter pollution.

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[RoseSharon]

Nothing more refreshing than swimming in an ecoli tank. 😮

[cristianagualimpiatorres]

Here in in Bogotá, the capital city of Colombia we have a way worse problem with the Bogotá river and local authorities are also aiming to clean it. Hopefully we will start to see simillar results here one day.

[johnmc]

Wait, swimming in that river is in seine lol.

[eddieg]

My BIG question is…..WHY do people litter?!?

[casksj]

I was in Paris recently and no way I’d swim in the Seine. Lol

[jfrancobelge]

There's no chance I would even dip a toe in the river in Paris.

[TheAlbinoskunk]

Not mentioned in this video is that almost every big city in Switzerland (Zurich, Bern, Basel) has huge numbers of people swimming safely in the rivers in the summer. It is possible!

[uhateulame]

live in paris for 8 years until 2023. People at night when they get drunk and get the urge to piss go to the seine to release the pressure xD i bet 5% of the seine is piss lol

[ll__]

Paris Olympics will forever be remembered as "sewage swimming" Olympics

[blackrhythmrecords]

Hi, i am a analytical lab chemist in south africa and am looking for job anywhere in the world...the microbiologist made me happy on this video and give me more interest

[amfrance]

Interesting at 0:40 how the translated subtitles omitted swimming with the "cadavres, " or dead bodies. 😅

[TedRios-xbqj]

Wouldn't it be better to build a separate channel aside the river?

[easymath-bh]

I thought France was a country where EVERYTHING is perfect?! I have never felt this bullshit could happen in this country that gives lessons to everyone all over the world about the environment, human rights, dignity, development, etc. 🤣

[oscararrieta]

I hope it won't turn into a Ganges river after the olimpic games.

[squirrelvert]

The tap water there isn't anything to write home about, either. I lived in Paris for several months in college and wound up with an ear infection from taking showers right before bed (and wearing foam earplugs overnight). I'd done the same at home, in the U.S., for for many years. (Before you attack me, I love Paris and France and plan to do a study sabbatical there in the next several years!)

[lk]

Its the shit pot of Paris. Bon appetit.

[DC]

They should electricity the tourist boats touring those few kilometers from Eiffel tower. The gasoline savings alone will pay the batteries in mere years instead of decades. Should be legally required from these multimillion companies

[worldview]

Like swimming in "Cream Brulee" smooth & funky

[jobond]

What about microplastic, especially to ever-growing micro cloths? Does the treatment plant capture it

[BwInNewJersey]

Nice to know that in 2024 most French homes aren’t directly flushing into the Seine😮. Wtf