The Musée des égouts de Paris (Paris Sewerage Museum) reopened in 2021 after a major 3-year renovation starting in 2018. I have always wanted to go there and finally was able to! It is located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, at the foot of the Pont de l’Alma over the Seine.
The museum has a very long history, and it is surprising that it was opened in 1867 during the Paris Exposition. At that time, visitors traveled by boat through the drainage canals. Today, visitors can freely walk around the museum, which is 3 meters underground and covers an area of 500m2, and learn about the history, maintenance, management, and wastewater treatment of the Parisian sewage system.
The sewers of Paris are approximately 2,600 km long and run underground throughout the city. The history of the Parisian sewers itself is so long that it dates back to Roman times, but it was the “Great Reform of Paris” that brought them to their present form. The Parisian Revolution began in 1853 under the leadership of Georges Haussmann, Governor of the Seine. Until then, Paris had been an extremely unsanitary place, and cholera outbreaks were frequent. However, this largest urban improvement project in France transformed Paris into a hygienic modern state.
Eugène Bergland, who worked as a civil engineer under Governor Haussmann, was in charge of the sewerage project. The museum has exhibits and busts in his honor.
The Paris Sewerage Museum is located in a part of the sewers in use today. When I entered the museum, the sound of water rang out, and for a while I was annoyed by the unique smell of the sewers.
Some of them are very easy to understand, with video screenings, touch screens, and interactive panels. For example, you can see at a glance how water flows when it rains or when you take a shower. You can also see a panel showing the different sizes and shapes of sewer pipes for different purposes, and a machine that checks the quality of the water in the Seine.
There are currently about 270 people working for the sewage system in Paris. What exactly they do is probably not well known, but their work involves hazards such as drowning, falling, and gas generation from sewage. The equipment used by the workers, as well as their safety gear, is also presented.
The most important job of the workers is to clean stones, dust, sand, and other residues that accumulate in the sewers. Special boats and vehicles used to remove debris from the sewers, as well as balls used to unclog them, are also on display.
I am not sure if the Seine is still clean today, but before the Paris renovation, not only the river but also the town must have been polluted to a much greater extent. However, before the Parisian renovation, not only the river but also the town must have been polluted beyond comparison, so we left the museum feeling grateful that the sewage system is well maintained.
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