Woldegker City Lake: water quality poor – swim at your own risk!

Woldegker City Lake: water quality poor – swim at your own risk!

The warning “swimming at your own risk” currently applies at Woldegker Stadtsee. This measure was taken due to significant deficiencies in water quality. Multiple sampling showed that the water quality of the lake was classified as “poor”. Due to this poor result, the lake was permanently closed. The city of Woldegk has had the city lake removed from the bathing water map of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in order to make visitors aware of the risks. An information sheet on the beach will provide additional information on the poor condition of the water.

Although swimming in the city lake is not officially prohibited, bathers do so at their own risk. The public order office cannot intervene in such cases. The visibility depth in the Woldegker city lake is only around 35 centimeters, which indicates cloudy water quality.

Regulations and monitoring

The bathing water regulations in Germany, which also include the EU directive on bathing water, require closure if there are deficiencies in the water quality. This EU directive on bathing water quality was passed in March 2006 and has regulated the monitoring and assessment of bathing water since 2008. Several samples over a period of four years are required to classify bathing water. This regulation ensures that only water bodies that meet the necessary standards are opened for bathing in order to protect the health of bathers. Overall, over 98 percent of German bathing waters meet the quality requirements of this guideline, with over 90 percent receiving the grade “excellent”. Nevertheless, in 155 cases water bodies had to be closed due to poor water quality, mostly due to problems with cyanobacteria or other water hygiene reasons.

In addition, the district is continuously monitoring the Woldegker city lake. A water quality measuring station has been installed since March 2023, which records 13 important water quality parameters. This continuous data analysis is intended to help improve the water quality of the city lake. Additionally, Lake Neetzka in the region has demonstrated excellent water quality over the same period, based on testing since 2021.

Water quality information

Information on bathing water quality is available from the federal states on their websites. In the 2023 bathing season, a total of 2,291 bathing waters in Germany were examined, of which 1,892 were located on inland lakes. This extensive analysis shows that the quality of bathing water in Germany is generally considered to be good to very good. For detailed information and the results of current water samples, you should visit the Federal Environment Agency website, which provides comprehensive data on water quality.

Continuous monitoring and regular reporting by the Federal Environment Agency and the federal states are crucial for maintaining water quality in German bathing waters. The results are also sent to the European Commission, which compiles the quality ratings and publishes them in annual reports.

For further details and ongoing updates on bathing water quality in Germany, visit the Federal Environment Agency website here and the information on the EU Bathing Water Directive here.