Cleaning up the Seine: the Olympics boosts a Parisian dream, but it’s still far from fully achieved

PARIS (AP) — The Seine River has been one of the stars of the Olympics — whether as the scene of the ambitious opening ceremony or as the Games’ choice for the triathlon and marathon swimming competitions.

The challenges to featuring the famed Paris waterway so prominently were considerable. The work that went into tackling one of the largest — concerns about its water quality — could be the Games’ biggest legacy for the river snaking through the French capital and arguably for Paris itself.

Authorities vow that their 1.4 billion-euro ($1.5 billion) cleanup efforts will allow a river that was so polluted Parisians were banned from taking a dip in it for a century to finally open up as a summertime swim spot. They also hope a cleaner river revitalizes the overall environment. Some experts are skeptical, however, and the Olympics have shown there still remain some hurdles ahead.

Results of daily testing during the Games showed the Seine’s water was not always in line with acceptable guidelines for illness-causing bacteria such as E. coli. That canceled several test swims and Read Entire Article