Paris' 'poop' problem looms large ahead of Olympics| EJ Explains

Paris which is also known as the city of light is facing a pooping problem ahead of Olympics. Paris's river Seine is going to play a crucial role in the Summer Olympics as the triathlon-race, which consists of a 1500m swim will take place in this very river.

River Seine is still not safe for swimming on most days due to high levels of E. Coli bacteria in the water, potentially exposing athletes to serious health risks. Notably, swimming in Seine has been illegal for more than 100 years due to the river's pollution levels.

But, what is contributing to Seine's river pollution? Well, one of the major factor is sewage. Earlier, in the 80s, the sewage system in Paris used to dump the the sewage into the Seine. Later on, Paris had a combined sewer system, which is underground and operates well.

However, it has some flaws which can affect the Olympics as the pipes that carry sewage away from homes and businesses are the same ones used for stormwater. The system is big enough to effectively transport wastewater to treatment plants, where it’s cleaned. But during heavy rains, sewage and stormwater overwhelm the system and then the excess sewage and water flows into the Seine.

The open water swimming, which is a part of the triathlon is set to take place on 30, 31st of July and on 5th of August. In order for this triathlon to take place in the river, water tests should be submitted no more than 48 hours prior to the competition.

And, in the water sample, the E. coli cannot exceed more than 1000 cfu.

What is E. coli?

E. coli is a bacteria that is found in intestines of people and warm-blooded animals. The presence of E. coli in a drinking water sample almost always indicates recent fecal contamination, which can make a person sick, like quite sick!

Tests of the river water that was taken four months ahead of the Olympics showed that the Seine was unsafe for the triathlon because of the E.coli levels.

Paris is now banking on warm, dry weather to keep the river clean. Paris' Mayor Anne Hidalgo even said that she would swim in Seine right before the Olympics, in a bid to show its suitability for the upcoming game amid the ongoing cleanliness concerns.

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