Paris Sewers: A 19th Century Heritage to Be Adapted to the Challenges of the 21st Century

Abstract

The Parisian sewer system was designed and built primarily in the nineteenth and early-twentieth century. Today, the responsibility of the City of Paris is to maintain these 150-year-old structures, which are still in operation, and at the same time adapt this system to today’s environmental challenges. When the sewer system was first established, the improvements it made to Parisians’ comfort, health and quality of life were readily apparent: The sewers were part of the Hausmann plan, which modernized and beautified Paris, both above and below ground, bringing drinking water to homes and removing wastewater from the streets. At the time, Parisians were very aware of this new public service because it changed their lives, and they had the chance to visit the sewer as early as 1867. Today the situation is quite different: It is now a hidden, little-known part of the city, transformed to meet the challenges of preserving rivers and turning wastewater into a resource. However, the goal of making it possible to swim in the Seine has shed new light on the Paris sewer system and its catchment area.