Unsafe levels of E. coli found in Paris’ Seine River less than 2 months before Olympics

By TOM NOUVIAN
Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — The water quality of the Seine river in Paris is raising concerns ahead of the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games. The collective “Eau de Paris”, responsible for collecting data for the city of Paris, published results on Friday showing high levels of E. coli and enterococci bacteria, sparking worries about fecal contamination in the river that will host events like the marathon swim and portions of the triathlons. Despite efforts such as a new retention basin, heavy May rainfall increased the pollution levels. Officials reamins optimistic that the water quality will improve with favorable weather.