Bathing pleasure or health risk? Water quality tested in the Lauter!

Bathing pleasure or health risk? Water quality tested in the Lauter!

The question of the water quality in our bathing waters is a topic that concerns many Cologne residents. Especially in the warm season, people are drawn to the beautiful banks of the Rhine and the surrounding lakes. That's why it's good to know what the hygiene is like in these waters. According to an article by Teckbote Many bathing establishments and lakes in Germany are now well monitored and the quality of the water has developed well in recent years thanks to strict guidelines.

As part of the European directive on bathing water quality, which came into force in 2006, the requirements for water quality are clearly defined. Current information on water quality can be viewed online so that bathers can find out more in advance. The vast majority, namely 98 percent, of German bathing water meets the quality requirements of this directive, as the statistics show Federal Environment Agency prove.

Current developments in water quality

In the 2024 bathing season, over 2,291 bathing waters in Germany were examined, and an impressive 91 percent received the grade “excellent”. This shows that efforts to improve water quality in both coastal areas and inland waters are paying off. But what exactly does it look like in the Cologne region? Are there any special incidents or risks here that citizens should know about?

As in other federal states, the waters in the Cologne area are systematically controlled. Monitoring is carried out by the respective state authorities and the data is then forwarded to the European Commission. In 2024, around 13,207 water samples were evaluated, which were collected by the Federal Institute of Hydrology and the Federal Environment Agency.

Hygiene and safety measures

Although the numbers are encouraging, there were some closures last season due to water hygiene deficiencies. Of 148 closed bathing waters, 72 cases were due to the occurrence of cyanobacteria - better known as blue-green algae. These pose a potential danger to swimmers and required quick action. In addition, extreme weather conditions such as heavy rain led to further closures. Despite these challenges, the quality of bathing water in Germany remains good to very good overall.

The latest report from Eurostat supports the positive trends and provides a comprehensive overview of water quality in Europe. This applies to the various regions of the EU, which shows that water bodies are monitored here and hygiene is taken seriously.

In summary, it can be said that swimmers and bathers in Cologne and the surrounding area can, on the whole, breathe a sigh of relief. The water quality is of a high standard and those responsible are well placed to protect bathers. Before visiting the water, however, it's worth taking a look at the current reports, because as the saying goes? Better safe than sorry!