PARIS, Aug 5 — Three River Seine swimming sites in Paris have welcomed more than 35,000 people since their opening in early July, despite persistent summer rains, city hall said today.

The River Seine reopened to swimmers last month, marking the first time since 1923 that bathers could take a dip in the iconic waterway following a years-long cleanup effort.

In July, wet weather forced the closure of the three swimming zones across the capital — including one just steps away from the Eiffel Tower — for 13 days.

“We knew that the weather would be a variable factor,” said city official Pierre Rabadan, adding that it “rained quite a lot in July”.

“But we are extremely satisfied,” he said.

On rainy days, the mid-19th-century Parisian sewage system often overflows, causing rain and wastewater to pour into the river.

A retention basin designed to contain this excess runoff has not spilled over into the Seine during the summer months, Rabadan said.

Rainfall forced the swimming sites to shut down just one day after the river’s triumphant reopening in early July, which drew crowds eager to take a dip in the Seine for the first time in a century.

The wet weather has not dampened that enthusiasm, with a record 5,700 people taking a dip in the waterway on July 13.

“There are regulars who are eagerly awaiting the opening, those who go running and then swim, families, but also tourists,” Rabadan said.

The seasonal opening of the Seine for swimming is seen as a key legacy of the Paris 2024 Olympics, when open-water swimmers and triathletes competed in its waters, which were specially cleaned for the event.

Ahead of the Olympic Games, authorities invested approximately 1.4 billion euros (RM6.76 billion) in improving the Seine’s water quality.

The swimming spots are open to the public for free until August 31. — AFP