Swimming in the Seine: you will have to take a test before jumping in the water

For the more adventurous among you wishing to taste the sweetness of the Seine this summer, Don't expect to dive in headfirst without formalities. The three Parisian swimming spots will be closely monitored: all swimmers will have to pass a preliminary test, announced this Friday, June 13, the Paris City Hall and the French Swimming Federation (FFN). The 27 lifeguards deployed in the different areas will be responsible for assessing whether each future swimmer "is sufficiently comfortable in the water to be able to swim without any material aid" such as a buoy, indicated Lazreg Benelhadj, president of the FFN.

In the water

"These are living bodies of water, which requires greater vigilance than in a swimming pool," he explained during a press tour of the future site of Bras Marie, opposite Île Saint-Louis, where Mayor Anne Hidalgo swam last summer just before the Olympic Games. Swimmers authorized to swim will be identified by a bracelet to avoid having to retake the test during the swimming period, between July 5 and August 31. For those who are not comfortable in the water, the FFN also hopes to roll out swimming instruction sessions.

As a reminder, it's also out of the question to put on a swimsuit and swim anywhere, anytime, and anyhow. Swimming in the river is only permitted at three sites : the Marie arm in the center, the Grenelle arm to the west, and Bercy to the east. The Seine is on average 3.5 meters deep in the first basin, as in the Bercy basin. Both will not have a bottom, unlike the Grenelle basin.

A lifeguard station will be installed at each site, with a capacity to accommodate 150 to 300 people at a time. Ten of the lifeguards will also have river permits to prevent "wild" swimming outside the buoy lines. "Outside of these three sites, swimming in the Seine remains prohibited, as it has been since 1923," insisted Pierre Rabadan, deputy mayor for sports at City Hall.

Indicators—green, yellow, and red—will indicate each day whether the water is suitable for swimming, in terms of pollution and current intensity. If the lights are red, swimming will be prohibited. "We began testing the water quality of the Seine in early June. During the first week, the water was unsuitable for swimming on only one day because it had rained," the elected official explained.