Bavaria's bathing lakes shine: only the Grüntensee has problems!

Bavaria's bathing lakes shine: only the Grüntensee has problems!

In a current study by the European Environment Agency (EEA) on the water quality in Bavarian bathing lakes, most bodies of water received the top grade of “excellent”. Only one lake, the Grüntensee near Wertach, was noticed as having poor values merkur.de reported. This study covered almost 2,300 bathing waters nationwide, with only nine being classified as inadequate. The majority, namely 90.5 percent, of the waters were impressive with their excellent water quality.

What makes the water in Bavaria so special? According to the EEA, an impressive majority of Bavarian bathing waters meet the high requirements set by the EU Bathing Water Directive. This is based on regular testing for fecal bacteria such as Escherichia coli and intestinal enterococci, which can potentially cause health problems. These bacteria usually come from sewage and agriculture, highlighting the need for regular monitoring.

The problem child: Grüntensee

However, let's come to the problem child: In the Oberallgäu district, the Grüntensee, a popular excursion destination for locals and tourists, has poor water quality at a measuring point. In the same region, two other lakes, the Mainparksee and the Meerhofsee in the Aschaffenburg district, only show sufficient water quality. Interestingly, the Meerhofsee has different water qualities at different measuring points, where it is rated as “excellent” in one place and “good” in another, such as pnp.de determines.

With these results, the Munich area, where all tested bodies of water, including Lake Starnberg, Lake Ammer, Lake Chiemsee and Lake Walchen, performed particularly well.

Overview of the bathing season

The results now available for the 2024 bathing season were presented in a report that is published annually during the bathing season. This year, a total of 2,291 bathing waters in Germany were examined, with 13,207 water samples being evaluated. Fortunately, 98 percent of the bathing water met the quality requirements according to the EU directive, which indicates an overall good to very good water quality.

Another point that should be mentioned is the temporary closures of bathing waters. This year, 148 bodies of water were closed temporarily or for the entire season, often due to health concerns caused by cyanobacteria or other water hygiene deficiencies. These warnings are often the result of heavy rain or storm events, which have occurred more frequently in recent years.

The picture of water quality in Bavarian bathing lakes looks predominantly positive, even if there are always challenges that should not be lost sight of. Environmental monitoring remains an important step in ensuring the health of bathers, with cooperation between the federal government, the states and the European Commission playing a crucial role here too. Further information on the water quality of bathing waters and the corresponding measures can be found on the website Federal Environment Agency to find.