Can Paris fix its poop problem before the Olympics?
Summary
TLDRThe script discusses the challenges Paris faces in preparing for the 2024 Summer Olympics, particularly the plan to hold open water swimming events in the Seine River, which has been polluted for a century. Despite the city's ambitious underground infrastructure project to mitigate sewage overflow, recent water tests revealed high E. coli levels, posing health risks. The Austerlitz Basin, part of a $1.5 billion project, aims to reduce combined sewer overflow but does not guarantee swimmability. The success of the events and the mayor's and president's promises to swim in the Seine hinge on overcoming these environmental hurdles.
Takeaways
- đïž Paris is hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics with the Seine River as a central feature, including an historic opening ceremony.
- đ The Seine has been historically polluted, with swimming banned for a century due to sewage overflow during heavy rain.
- đââïž Open water swimming events were planned for the Olympics, but water quality concerns with E. coli have been a challenge.
- đ Mayor Anne Hidalgo and President Emmanuel Macron expressed confidence in the river's cleanliness, even pledging to swim in it.
- đ§ A massive underground infrastructure project, costing 1.5 billion USD, was built to manage sewage overflow and improve the Seine's quality.
- đ The Austerlitz Basin, part of the project, is designed to hold excess water during heavy rains to prevent sudden contamination of the Seine.
- đ Similar issues with water quality have affected past Olympic Games in Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro.
- đ« A preliminary event in the Seine in August 2023 was canceled due to high E. coli levels, indicating ongoing water quality issues.
- đ The goal is to reduce the number of times sewer overflow gates need to be opened into the Seine, from 10-15 times to twice a year.
- đïž Beyond the Olympics, Paris aims to make the Seine swimmable for the public, with plans to open swimming sites post-Olympics in 2025.
Q & A
Why was the Seine River considered a key feature for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris?
-The Seine River was considered a key feature for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris because it runs along some of the city's most famous landmarks, such as the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame, and the mayor, Anne Hidalgo, wanted to use it for an historic opening ceremony and open water swimming events.
Why has swimming in the Seine been banned for a century?
-Swimming in the Seine has been banned for a century due to the presence of human waste in the river, which is a result of sewage overflow during heavy rain when the city's underground sewer systems get overwhelmed.
What infrastructure project has been built near the Seine to address water quality issues for the Olympics?
-An enormous underground infrastructure project, including the Austerlitz Basin, has been built near the Seine with a 13.2 million gallon capacity underground reservoir and tunnel to prevent sudden contamination from combined sewer overflow and ensure water quality for the Olympics.
What are the water quality standards for open water swimming events during the Olympics?
-For an open water swimming event to be approved, water samples must not exceed 1,000 colony forming units (cfu) of E. coli per 100ml of water and 400 cfu of enterococci, which are bacteria associated with feces.
What is the significance of the Austerlitz Basin in the context of the 2024 Olympics?
-The Austerlitz Basin is part of a 1.5 billion USD infrastructure project aimed at cleaning up the Seine. It serves to hold excess water during heavy rainstorms, preventing the sewers from becoming overwhelmed and reducing the frequency of sewer overflow into the Seine.
What challenges have been faced in the journey to clean up the Seine for the Olympics?
-Challenges include the cancellation of a preliminary event in August 2023 due to unacceptable levels of E. coli in the water, and the ongoing need to manage combined sewer overflow to prevent sudden contamination.
How does a combined sewer system contribute to water contamination during heavy rain?
-A combined sewer system, used in many cities, handles both wastewater and stormwater. During heavy rain, the sewers can become too full, leading to the partial redirection of the excess combined wastewater and stormwater to nearby waterways, causing a spike in E. coli levels.
What is the role of the BetterHelp sponsor mentioned in the script?
-BetterHelp is an online therapy service sponsor mentioned in the script that offers a platform for individuals to connect with licensed therapists for mental health support, which is unrelated to the main topic of the Seine River and the Olympics.
What is the long-term vision for the Seine River beyond the 2024 Olympic Games?
-The long-term vision for the Seine River includes making it swimmable again for Parisians, with plans to open three swimming sites to the general public in 2025, thanks to the efforts initiated for the Olympic Games.
What is the current situation regarding the plan to host the opening ceremony along the Seine?
-French President Emmanuel Macron has indicated that there are backup plans for the opening ceremony if the security risk due to water quality is too high, suggesting that the final decision will depend on conditions closer to the event.
How will the possibility of open water swimming events being held be determined during the Olympics?
-The possibility of open water swimming events will be determined hours before the events based on water quality tests, and they will be at the mercy of weather conditions, particularly rain, which could affect water quality.
Outlines
đââïž Paris 2024 Olympics and Seine River Challenges
The script discusses the ambitious plans for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, with a focus on the Seine River. Mayor Anne Hidalgo and French President Emmanuel Macron are committed to using the river as a central feature of the games, including an unprecedented outdoor opening ceremony. However, the river's water quality has been a longstanding issue due to sewage overflow, which has made swimming in the Seine unsafe for a century. Despite this, Hidalgo and Macron have expressed confidence in the river's cleanliness due to a significant underground infrastructure project. The script also highlights similar water quality issues faced during the Tokyo 2020 and Rio 2016 Olympics, where open water swimming events were nearly canceled. The situation is further complicated by the presence of E. coli, which has led to the cancellation of preliminary events and poses a risk to the 2024 games.
đ The Austerlitz Basin: Paris's Solution to Seine Contamination
This paragraph delves into the specifics of the Austerlitz Basin, a 13.2 million-gallon underground reservoir and tunnel system designed to mitigate the risk of sudden contamination in the Seine due to combined sewer overflow. The system, part of a 1.5 billion USD project, aims to reduce the frequency of sewer overflows into the river, which is crucial for the planned open water swimming events at the Olympics. The script also compares the Austerlitz Basin to similar projects in Chicago and New York, emphasizing the global relevance of such infrastructure in densely populated cities. Despite these efforts, the possibility of heavy rain contaminating the Seine remains, which could jeopardize the swimming events. The long-term vision for the Seine extends beyond the Olympics, with plans to open swimming sites to the public in 2025 and to further the river's restoration as a safe and enjoyable urban feature.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄSeine
đĄSewage Overflow
đĄE. coli
đĄCombined Sewer System
đĄAusterlitz Basin
đĄ2024 Summer Olympics
đĄWater Quality Standards
đĄEnterococci
đĄInfrastructure Project
đĄSwimmability
đĄBackup Plans
Highlights
Paris was determined to host the 2024 Summer Olympics with the Seine River as a central feature, despite its history of pollution.
The Seine River was planned to host the first-ever Olympic opening ceremony outside of a stadium.
Swimming in the Seine had been banned for a century due to the presence of human waste.
Sewage overflow during heavy rain contributes to the Seine's pollution, a common issue for urban waterways.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to swim in the Seine to demonstrate its cleanliness.
A major underground infrastructure project was undertaken to manage sewage overflow and improve the Seine's water quality.
Previous Olympic Games faced similar challenges with water quality for open water swimming events.
A preliminary event in the Seine was canceled in August 2023 due to high E. coli levels.
E. coli presence in water indicates recent fecal contamination and poses health risks.
Water analysis must show acceptable levels of E. coli and enterococci for open water swimming events to proceed.
The Austerlitz Basin, part of a 1.5 billion USD project, was built to mitigate sewage overflow into the Seine.
The Austerlitz Basin's underground reservoir and tunnel system aims to reduce the frequency of sewer overflows.
The project's goal is to allow swimming in the Seine, with public swimming sites planned to open post-Olympics.
The feasibility of open water swimming during the Olympics will depend on weather conditions and water quality tests.
Combined sewer systems, common in many cities, can lead to water contamination during heavy rainfall.
The Austerlitz Basin is one of several large-scale solutions implemented to manage urban water pollution.
Despite improvements, the Seine's swimmability for the Olympics remains uncertain and subject to luck.
Transcripts
Back in 2017, Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo
reinforced one thing in the city's final push
to host the 2024 Summer Olympics:
that its famous river, the Seine,
would be a key fixture of the games,
including an historic Olympics opening ceremony,
the first held outside of a stadium.
For which French officials initially said there is âno plan B.â
And that open water swimming events would be held in it.
It's not hard to see why.
The Seine runs along some of Paris's most famous landmarks,
like the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame.
The thing is, swimming has been banned
in the Seine for a century.
And that's because the River Seine has human sh*t in it.
Like many urban waterways around the world,
the Seine takes on sewage overflow during heavy rain.
When the city's underground
sewer systems get overwhelmed with stormwater.
Hidalgo even said she would take a swim
in the Seine herself ahead of the games.
French President Emmanuel Macron promised the same thing.
They say they're confident
because of an enormous underground infrastructure project
they've built near the river.
To ensure as much as possible
that it won't sh*t on their parade.
This isn't the first time Olympic open water swimming events â
the triathlon, para triathlon and marathon swimming â
were at risk of being canceled
last minute due to water quality issues.
We saw some of the same headlines
during the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo
and the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
In both cases, they pulled it off.
And Paris hopes to do the same.
But the journey to clean up
the Seine hasn't come without a few setbacks.
A preliminary event in the river,
scheduled for August 2023 was canceled.
When water analysis showed an unacceptable
amount of E. coli in the water.
E. coli are bacteria that originate
in the intestinal tracts of warm blooded animals.
Presence of them in water is a strong indicator of ârecent fecal contamination.â
Which can make you very, very, very sick.
In order for an open water swim event to be given the go ahead,
water analysis reports must be submitted
no more than 48 hours prior to competition.
Those samples cannot exceed more than 1,000 cfu â
colony forming units â of e. coli per 100ml of water.
And 400 cfu of enterococci.
Another bacteria...
associated with feces.
Test results published just four months
ahead of the games showed that river samples taken
at this bridge, the site of open water swimming events,
still failed to get under that crucial 1,000 number
for permissible levels of E. coli.
You can see where this contamination is coming from
by taking a look at this 1852 map.
Showing how the original Paris sewer system was built.
It dumps right into the Seine.
Which is gross. But it's not a problem that's unique to Paris.
Many urban sewer systems work this way.
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Many cities that built sewer systems
in the mid 1800s to early 1900s, like Paris did,
installed what's known as a âcombined sewer system.â
In a combined sewer system,
the same pipes that handle wastewater also handle stormwater,
which gets collected through storm drains in the street.
Everything gets sent along to be processed at water
treatment facilities and then cycles
out to the natural environment.
When it rains a lot, the sewers can get too full.
When this happens, rather than flooding back into the street.
The excess combined wastewater and stormwater
gets partially redirected to a nearby waterway.
Which is why E. coli levels in water can spike
dramatically in the hours following heavy rain.
It's because that water was recently contaminated with sh*t.
So you'll see signs near combined sewer outfalls
that prohibit swimming after heavy rain.
If that happens during the Olympics,
it could mean canceling open water swimming events.
So Paris built a giant tank.
This 13.2 million gallon capacity
underground reservoir and tunnel,
is part of a 1.5 billion USD
infrastructure project that aims to clean up the Seine.
It's called the Austerlitz Basin, built near
the Austerlitz metro station, right by the Seine.
With the tunnel running under the river to the sewers.
French officials opened the basin less than three months
ahead of the Olympics opening ceremony,
which is scheduled for July 26th.
I'll let this guy explain how it works.
Basically, this system will hold excess water
so the sewers don't get overwhelmed in a heavy rainstorm.
And then it will methodically release the water back
through the sewer system.
Giant reservoirs like this
have worked in other cities with big populations.
Like the Thorton Composite Reservoir outside of Chicago,
which can hold nearly 8 billion gallons of wastewater.
And this combined sewer outflow facility
in the Parerdegat Basin in New York â
designed to prevent contamination of the basin
and nearby Jamaica Bay.
The Austerlitz Basin isn't designed to clean the Seine.
That's an ongoing, multi-pronged process.
This project was built to prevent further â and sudden â
contamination of the Seine from combined sewer overflow.
The goal, according to French officials, is to resort
to opening the sewer overflow gates
that dump into the Seine no more than twice a year,
compared to the current rate of 10
to 15 times per year.
Paris will continue testing as the Olympics rapidly approach,
but Hidalgo and Macron have yet to swim in the Seine.
Even if all goes perfectly according to plan,
a significant rainstorm could still contaminate the Seine,
forcing open water swimming events to be postponed.
The idea of making the Seine swimmable again
goes beyond just the 2024 Olympic Games.
[ARCHIVE] âIt seems to be a good thing to start last
in this annual race through Paris,
because the River Seine gets so full,
you could almost walk over the swimmers in front.â
It brings the city back to a time when the river was a place
for Parisians to cool off in the summer, instead of biohazard.
Once the Olympics are over,
that becomes the next phase of this project.
According to Mayor Anne Hidalgo,
three swimming sites in the Seine
will open to the general public in 2025, âthanks to the games.â
As for the plan to host the opening ceremony along the Seine,
French President Emmanuel Macron has now said that
there are backup plans âif the security risk is too high.â
Whether or not open water swimming will be possible
can only be determined hours
before the events and will be at the mercy of rain.
Meaning making the Seineswimmable in time for the Olympics
is going to take a lot of work and a lot of luck.
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