Flood protection in Fechingen: How the swimming pool was saved

Flood protection in Fechingen: How the swimming pool was saved

In the Saarbrücken district of Fechingen there was a critical flood situation at Pentecost 2024 that caused great damage in the village. The local residents were faced with flooded streets and damaged houses, whereby the herring mill was blocked by a landslide and the bridge in the area was under water. Despite these frightening circumstances, the Fechinger swimming pool remained largely intact - a result of meticulous preparatory work and investments in flood protection.

The moist memories of the 2018 event are still deep in many. At that time, a heavy rain caused immense damage, the overall repair added up to around 380,000 euros, while the swimming pool systems had to stay closed for several months. Gabriele Scharenberg-Fischer, the managing director of Stadtwerke Saarbrücken Bäder GmbH, notes that the disaster at that time was regarded as a century event. "But the century only lasted until Pentecost in 2024," she comments on.

preventive measures have an effect

After the devastating flood 2018, it was decided to take targeted measures. The construction of a protective wall and the installation of water outflows to the channel should prevent the bathroom from being flooded again. A total of an additional 200,000 euros flowed into flood protection, which was confirmed as a wise investment. Even if the water ran over the wall for a short time, the bathing masters succeeded with creative solutions such as an earth wall, the water through the parking area and to the parking lot to the Saarbach.

Window master Marco Paul reports that alarms of highly sensitive flood sensors are immediately sent to the mobile phones of the employees if there is a risk. This ensures that the team can react immediately to protect the bathroom and the technical infrastructure. "When the alarm is triggered, we save our workplace," explains Paul. The preventive measures and constant training have proven themselves, and the water levels were also successfully checked in this extreme event.

successful damage minimization

The balance sheet after the flood at Pentecost 2024 is pleasant. There was only minor damage in the amount of only 12,000 euros due to sub -flushing, which is minimal compared to the 2018 disasters. Scharenberg-Fischer emphasizes that the insurance company recognized the successful measures and was even accommodating. "We saw that there can also be flood problems in the Dudweiler outdoor pool. The city's measures are planned here," she adds.

The Dudweiler fire brigade provided valuable help during the flood and ensured that there was no damage. Even in the Totobad, which is surrounded by older trees, only wind breaks were identified as a problem - flood risks do not seem to exist here. The Fechinger swimming pool is susceptible to floods due to its location, but the precautions taken show how important preventive measures are to minimize damage.