PARIS –  As Paris gets ready to host the 2024 Olympic Games, the city’s iconic Seine River has prompted safety concerns for athletes participating in the marathon swimming and triathlon events.

Undeterred by the concerns, 75-year-old Joel Stratte-McClure bravely tested the waters of the Seine on the Fourth of July, showcasing his determination and personal risk.  “I’m very impressed with everything the French have done to try to clean up this river, which is filthy, and want to celebrate it,” Stratte-McClure said. “If things go really bad and I don’t survive the swim, it will at least give an alert to the American and other swimmers in the triathlon that maybe they shouldn’t do it.”

Stratte-McClure, a journalist from California, was in the water for about 20 minutes and said he was feeling fine after his swim. Paris officials claim that extensive cleanup efforts will minimize health risks from bacteria and pollution by the time the competition starts on July 26. Additionally, the plan is to open three public bathing sites by next summer as part of ongoing efforts to improve the river’s reputation.

Since 2016, Dan Angelescu’s company, Fluidion, has been diligently testing the water quality of the Seine River, and this practice has continued every day since early April. During heavy rains, sewage can overflow into the river. For example, on June 18, after several days of rain, E. coli levels in the Seine River jumped to roughly 10,000 Colony Forming Units per milliliter, more than 10 times the safety limit.

“What we’ve seen year after year is these big storm events, especially after a long dry period, can really make water quality degrade significantly,” Angelescu said. “Bacteria level in hundred to hundred-thousand range for example. It stays there and then drops down again.” Officials are hopeful that good weather, particularly the sun’s UV rays, can play a significant role in improving water quality, and say these rays have the potential to kill bacteria, providing a ray of hope and a potential solution to the water pollution issue. (ABC news)…[+]