Alimat Aliyeva
Wastewater has become a new political issue in Europe as climate change increases the likelihood of flash floods and overloaded sewer systems, Azernews reported.
This does not only apply to the pollution of the Seine or the Thames: many European cities, such as Ghent in Belgium, have centuries-old infrastructure where huge amounts of domestic and industrial waste go uncleaned, and as noted in the UK, where sewage spills have sparked strong public outcry.
Additionally, climate change will bring more rainfall that will in turn cause flash floods and sewage overflows, the agency noted.
The European Union has set a deadline to update wastewater treatment rules in 2024 after they hadn't changed for 30 years, but many countries have ignored the updated legislation, the agency reported.
Earlier, on August 6, during the Paris Olympics, Kazakhstan triathlete Ekaterina Shabalina said she had to undergo antibacterial treatment after swimming in the Seine.
On August 4, it was revealed that Belgian triathlete Claire Michel had been hospitalized in Paris with E. coli after swimming the Seine at the Olympics. After this incident, the team had to withdraw from the relay.
At the same time, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said the city's Seine had long been considered a sewer, but that as part of the Olympics the river had been groomed for open water events by professionals – she had previously swam there to prove the water was suitable for the Olympics.
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