A few days ago, 3,000 liters of fuel oil were illegally dumped into the Seine, endangering not only the ecosystem but also summer swimming… The result? The Maisons-Alfort swimming area had to close completely. In Paris, the swimming areas at Bercy and Bras Marie are closed intermittently… Here’s an update.
Swimming prohibited in the Seine at two sites in Paris
Since this illegal spill on Friday, July 24, two swimming areas on the Seine have been closed intermittently until further notice. According to the city of Saint-Maur-des-Fossées, which is directly affected by this pollution, the fuel oil was reportedly dumped into a storm drain located near the town, in Joinville-le-Pont
In Paris, the Bercy and Bras Marie sites are currently off-limits to swimmers, much to the chagrin of the 55,000 Parisians who have already taken a dip in the river. For now, only the Grenelle site remains open as of today.
In fact, the latter will be closedstarting this Saturday, August 1, through Sunday, August9. This closure is due to the European Swimming Championships, which will be the focus of everyone’s attention during this period. For the brave souls who still want to go swimming, the sites at La Villette and the Canal Saint-Martin—which are not affected by this pollution—remain open.