As the Paris Olympics open, the Seine’s questionable water quality should make us all appreciate our own capital city river even more.
![Riverkeeper Laura Reinsborough](https://smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital/ottawacitizen/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/img_4086.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&h=216&sig=i3gLrT72mXBOLaxd-k7SyA)
Article content
I swim in the Ottawa River. For many, this is a controversial statement. But for me, it’s a proud declaration about the swimmability of the river. With the 2024 Paris Olympics in the spotlight, the Seine’s questionable water quality should make us all appreciate our own capital city river even more.
The Seine is the proposed location for multiple Olympic sporting events, such as the triathlon and marathon swim, but the question of water quality has sparked fierce debate around whether these events can move forward. Despite improvements in water quality over the years, many Parisians still view the Seine as too polluted for swimming. In fact, it’s been illegal to swim there since 1923.
Advertisement 2
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
- Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office.
- Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account.
- Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
- Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.
- Support local journalism.
SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
- Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office.
- Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account.
- Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
- Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.
- Support local journalism.
REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
- Access articles from across Canada with one account.
- Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
- Enjoy additional articles per month.
- Get email updates from your favourite authors.
Sign In or Create an Account
or
Article content
Recent tests in the Seine found Escherichia coli (E. coli) concentrations as high as 10,000 colony-forming units (CFU) per 100 mL — more than 10 times the recommended limit set by the World Triathlon’s quality standards. In contrast, the Ottawa River deserves a gold medal for its water quality.
Ottawa Riverkeeper data from the Ottawa River showed average E. coli concentrations of 60 CFU/100 mL at the NCC River House and 176 CFU/100 mL at Parc Moussette. Both testing sites show dramatically lower levels than those in the Seine, which average over 3,200 CFU/100 mL, according to recent data from the water-quality monitoring organization Fluidion.
![Graphic Ottawa River and Seine e coli. levels](https://smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital/ottawacitizen/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ottawa_seine_wqresults.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&sig=33mLbiIg42HGJOdCUc-JPA)
Recent efforts to clean up the Seine have cost the French government a whopping €1.4 billion, focused on reducing the impacts of sewage. The Ottawa River is not without its own challenges in this regard, though a greater volume of water and lower population density give it a stronger starting point. Since the 1800s, the Ottawa River has been a dumping ground for industrial waste and raw sewage. Considerable investments, such as the installation of the Combined Sewage Storage Tunnel in the City of Ottawa, have helped significantly reduce the amount of raw sewage entering the Ottawa River during rain events. Today, the Ottawa River stands out as having incredible water quality, with urban beaches in the National Capital Region passing water quality tests over 90 per cent of the time.
Advertisement 3
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
Despite this, community perception of the Ottawa River remains tainted by its history of pollution. A study by Abacus Data and Ottawa Riverkeeper found that only 24 per cent of people living in the Ottawa River Valley believe the river is clean enough to swim in, with 58 per cent identifying sewage as a major pollution source. This disappointing finding is a good reminder that we must take care of our freshwater ecosystems. Once water quality degrades beyond a certain point, recovery becomes incredibly challenging and expensive, and perceptions can be even more difficult to shift.
The debate around the Seine’s water quality should help us appreciate the excellent water quality of the Ottawa River. We are incredibly lucky to have a swimmable national capital river, and it should be celebrated and protected. If I take anything away from the conversations in Paris, it is that we must constantly advocate for and protect the Ottawa River, so we can continue to swim in it for decades to come.
Laura Reinsborough is the Riverkeeper and CEO with Ottawa Riverkeeper, a registered charity whose mission is to protect and promote the ecological health of the Ottawa River and its tributaries.
Recommended from Editorial
Article content
Share this article in your social network