Stuttgart – Minister of Health Manne Lucha: “In a European comparison, the bathing waters in the country are again above average / bathing in rivers should generally be avoided”
In most of the lakes and bodies of water in Baden-Württemberg, people can swim without hesitation this summer. Once again, almost all bathing waters in the country have excellent water quality. This emerges from the current bathing water map of the State Health Office, which provides an overview of the 312 bathing areas in the state that were hygienically monitored last year. The map with the respective bathing spots in the urban and rural districts is available online at .
For safe bathing fun, the water quality in natural bodies of water must be hygienically flawless. Therefore, the bathing areas in the country are monitored according to the specifications of the European Union. “In a European comparison, Baden-Württemberg again achieved above-average results,” said Health Minister Manne Lucha on Friday (June 9) in Stuttgart at the start of the 2023 bathing season ” rated. This means that almost all lakes in Baden-Württemberg are suitable for bathing and are shown in blue and green on the bathing waters.
Four bathing areas are only of “sufficient” quality, namely the Eggenstein quarry pond in the Karlsruhe district, the Hörschwag bathing area on the Lauchert in the Zollernalb district, the Aileswasen quarry pond in the Esslingen district and the Hermuthausen bathing lake in the Hohenlohe district. They are marked in yellow on the map.
Two bathing areas, the Holzmühleweier near Vogt in the Ravensburg district and the Sunthauser See in the Schwarzwald-Baar district, are “poor” and therefore closed to bathing. They are marked in red on the bathing water map. In the past few years, they have at times exhibited hygienic problems.
The health authorities take water samples at least once a month during the bathing season, which in Baden-Württemberg usually lasts from June 1st to September 15th, and arrange for a laboratory examination. Current events such as heavy rain can lead to germs or pollutants being washed into water bodies. The Ministry for Social Affairs, Health and Integration therefore advises also to observe the information and bathing warnings posted at bathing lakes. Current information on the water quality during the bathing season can also be obtained directly from the municipalities and health authorities.
“In addition, the clear recommendation not to swim in rivers applies again this year. Apart from a few designated bathing areas, these are usually not checked. It cannot therefore be ruled out that these bathing areas have microbiological contamination above the applicable limit values,” Health Minister Lucha concluded.