Mayor of Paris follows through on promise to swim in Seine

After years of promises and more than $1.5 billion of investment the Seine River is clean enough for swimming, and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a promised plunge in the water to show it is ready for the Olympic Games that begin this week. The Seine will be featured in the opening ceremony and used for some events. “It’s so meaningful to use the Games to transform the city of Paris, to leave a very important legacy for the people to have an opportunity to swim,” said Tony Estanguet, president of the Olympic organizing committee, who swam with the mayor.

Class discussion: o you ever swim in open water like a river, lake, or the ocean? Do you ever worry about exposure to polluted water? Do health officials regularly test beaches and swimming areas near you? Have they ever shut down swimming because of contamination from storm runoff or accidental spills? Most Olympic events will take place in pools, which are tested and treated for any contamination. Which do think is safer – a public pool used by many people and regularly tested, or a backyard pool used by a few people but checked irregularly?