In the book of Genesis, God made us stewards of the earth.

In this article, we can learn more about how we can fulfill this responsibility that God gave us.

The summer Olympics will be held this year in Paris, France, and the Seine River will be the site for the triathlon, paratriathlon and marathon swimming events. For the past one hundred years, swimming has been prohibited in this river due to poor water quality, namely high bacteria levels. However, the government recently made an investment of 1.5 billion dollars for a major sewage treatment system upgrade to make the river swimmable by 2025.

Across the globe, intermittent releases of untreated wastewater are due to aging sewage treatment plants and increasing populations/more wastewater. This creates sewage-contaminated receiving waters (rivers, lakes, etc.). Overflows are usually triggered by heavy rains that increase the volume of water beyond the capacity of the wastewater treatment plant. Improvements in sewage treatment plants involve upgraded infrastructure that separates stormwater or increases the water volume capacity of the treatment plant. In Paris, the new Austerlitz basin was designed and built to prevent sewage from overflowing into the Seine River. It has the capacity to collect 20 Olympic-size swimming pools’ worth of excess rain and wastewater during heavy precipitation, and to limit the risk of the city sewage being released into the river.

The latest reports from water quality testing of the Seine River by the Surfrider Foundation show bacteria above the level considered safe for swimmers. Government officials indicate that the new basin structure is not yet fully operational. The river water will undergo testing throughout the summer, with expectations for safe swimming when the Olympics begin in late July. For Parisians, the ability to swim in the river after 100 years of polluted water is outright thrilling.

Approximately 34 billion gallons of wastewater is treated every day in the US. For decades, cities around the US have been struggling with aged sewage treatment infrastructure, leading to compromised water quality. The current federal administration is helping finance much needed upgrades. The announcement this past February read, “The Infrastructure Law invests a total of over $50 billion to upgrade America’s water infrastructure, the largest investment in clean water in American history.” These investments are critical to protect fresh waters and ensure they are swimmable and fishable.

What lifestyle changes can you make to ensure that everyone has access to clean water?