Paris Opens Three New Seine Swimming Sites Amidst Controversy
Paris, July 12, 2026 – The city of Paris officially opened three new swimming sites in the River Seine on Saturday, July 4, 2026. These new locations, situated at Bras Marie, Quai de Bercy, and Grenelle, have been deemed safe for public bathing after rigorous bacteriological analyses of the water yielded favorable results.
The initiative follows independent tests conducted by scientists from the start-up Fluidion for Le Figaro. Microbiological samples confirmed excellent water quality, mirroring previous findings in the Canal Saint-Martin, which had already been opened for swimming.
Restrictions on Canal Saint-Martin Spark Discontent
Concurrently with the opening of the new Seine sites, access to Canal Saint-Martin has been significantly restricted, now limited to Sundays from 2 PM to 6 PM. This decision has been met with considerable dissatisfaction from many swimmers who previously enjoyed daily access to the canal.
The municipality justifies the reduction in access by citing the deployment of the new Seine basins, which are designed to accommodate hundreds of people simultaneously. However, despite the official restrictions and the end of daily surveillance, users continue to swim in the canal, noting a lenient enforcement of the rules by law enforcement.
Some citizens are actively demanding a return to full legality for daily swimming in the Canal Saint-Martin. An anonymous swimmer, speaking to France 3 Paris Île-de-France, expressed mixed feelings: “I find it a shame, but it depends on why it is, because if it’s for security reasons, that can be understood.”
Future Plans and Heatwave Contingencies
The municipal administration plans to update signage along the canal banks to clarify the regulatory situation. Authorities have ruled out expanding the current schedule, except in cases of extreme heatwaves that might overwhelm other Parisian swimming areas.
Antoine Guillou, Deputy Mayor in charge of the Seine and canals, stated, “Obviously, we were expecting heatwave episodes with the same intensity we had experienced, and if we were to see that the existing swimming sites are saturated, we could always reconsider the question. But today for the summer, for this summer, it was the schedule as planned.”
The city’s move to open new Seine swimming spots aligns with its broader vision to integrate the river more fully into Parisian life, offering residents and visitors more opportunities for recreation and leisure. This expansion is a significant step towards achieving the long-held goal of making the Seine swimmable, an aspiration that dates back decades.
While the new sites are a welcome addition for many, the debate surrounding the Canal Saint-Martin highlights the challenges of balancing public access with safety and logistical considerations in a bustling urban environment.
