Water quality in Brandenburg: Good values, but algae warnings!

Water quality in Brandenburg: Good values, but algae warnings!

The warm summer days bring many people to Brandenburg's bathing lakes, but there are currently restrictions for a number of bathing spots. Water quality in most lakes is rated as excellent, although some bodies of water are showing worrying signs of blue-green algae. This reports Süddeutsche.de.

The Ministry of Environment and Consumer Protection in Potsdam measured the water temperatures in the bathing waters between 20 and 22 degrees Celsius, which is pleasant for many bathers. But the good weather also brings with it the risk of blue-green algae. Swimming is not recommended for Lake Ruppiner and Hohejesarscher Lake. Nevertheless, there is also positive news: The Mitte lido at Scharmützelsee in Bad Saarow is free of mold after a comprehensive follow-up inspection and is therefore open for swimming again.

Blue-green algae and its dangers

The algae bloom is significantly promoted by the persistent heat, which is also evident in the Brandenburg an der Havel region. The increase in algae pollution has already led to increased monitoring of bathing areas such as Massowburg and Grillendamm. Health authorities and water police pay close attention to water quality in order to minimize health risks. Although the current blue-green algae concentration is not considered to be of concern, swimmers should stay away from visibility depths of less than one meter to avoid possible risks such as diarrhea and vomiting rbb24.de reported.

There have already been fish deaths in Beetzsee in particular, which can be attributed to a lack of oxygen caused by the decomposition process of dead algae. Hundreds of dead fish were discovered, which is a warning sign for water quality. The bluish-greenish color of the water can be observed not only in the Beetzsee, but also in the Breitlingssee and Riewendsee.

Monitoring and quality of bathing lakes

Like that Federal Environment Agency explains, the water quality in Germany is continuously monitored. In 2024, over 13,000 water samples from 2,291 bathing waters were examined, with almost 91 percent receiving the grade “excellent”. This regular monitoring is essential to ensure that the German swimming area remains a safe and pleasant experience for all swimmers. The federal states in particular played a central role when it came to reliably assessing the quality of the water samples.

Overall, it can be seen that, despite isolated challenges caused by blue-green algae, most bathing areas in Brandenburg and the surrounding area are safe, and many people are already enjoying the first days of summer by the water thanks to the warm temperatures. However, you should still pay attention to the current warnings from the health authorities and the quality ratings of the respective bathing areas.