Brandenburg's bathing waters: Outstanding quality with a few exceptions!

Brandenburg's bathing waters: Outstanding quality with a few exceptions!

In Brandenburg, the bathing season opens with good news: most bathing waters boast excellent water quality. Loud n-tv 90.5 percent of the almost 2,300 bathing waters examined in Germany are of the best quality. A small improvement compared to last year shows that we are on the right track. What is particularly noteworthy is that Brandenburg as a whole is recording a positive development, although two bathing areas, namely the Scharmützelsee in Bad Saarow and the Hohensaaten-Friedrichsthaler waterway in Schwedt, have poor values.

The bathing waters around Potsdam almost exclusively achieve the “excellent” seal. These pleasing results put Brandenburg and Germany in one of the top places in a European comparison. According to the findings of the European Environment Agency (EEA), Germany ranks eighth among 29 European countries. Only Cyprus, Bulgaria, Greece, Austria, Croatia, Denmark and Malta perform better. The worst performers are Albania, Poland, Estonia and Hungary, while Italy and Spain are close on Germany's heels.

Water quality overview

Monitoring bathing water is not just about water quality. Health authorities take care of checking for algae and blue-green algae during the bathing season. Nutrient-rich waters can promote the growth of cyanobacteria, which sometimes pose health risks. The algae toxin Microcystin-LR, which is potentially harmful to human health, has been identified in Germany. In order to protect bathers, temporary bathing bans can be imposed, such as mleuv reported.

• Untersuchungen zeigen, dass 98 Prozent der Badegewässer die Qualitätsanforderungen der EU-Badegewässerrichtlinie erfüllen.
• 103 Badegewässer erhielten die Note „ausgezeichnet“.
• Von 2.291 untersuchten Badegewässern wurden 148 aufgrund von verschiedenen Gründen temporär oder ganz geschlossen.
• 72 davon wurden wegen Cyanobakterien geschlossen.

A visual inspection by health authorities ensures that rapid action is taken if a “blue-green algae bloom” is suspected. If discoloration occurs, samples are taken and examined under a microscope to assess potential hazards. In addition to these careful controls, general rules of conduct for swimmers, especially children, are also published to ensure safety while swimming.

The importance of data

The 2024 bathing season has shown that the quality of German bathing water remains good to very good, which represents a pleasing continuity. The European Commission's annual reports make it possible to make water conditions more transparent and respond at a European level. In recent years, water quality in Germany has been continuously documented and evaluated through comprehensive examinations of 13,207 water samples. In particular, monitoring by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) and the Federal Institute for Hydrology (BfG) is of great importance for ensuring safe bathing pleasure.

This positive news about water quality contrasts with the challenges many water bodies face due to extreme weather events. Heavy rainfall and flooding can quickly lead to hygienic deficiencies. Nevertheless, we look forward to the coming bathing days with confidence and enjoy the summer in one of the most beautiful regions in Germany!