Nature and Surroundings - Nearly every bathing lake boasts excellent water purity.
In total, there are 66 bathing waters in Rhineland-Palatinate where you can enjoy a swim with excellent water quality. The Ministry of the Environment along with the Rhineland-Palatinate Environment Agency declared this news on Friday after conducting regular monitoring of these areas. The outcomes of these tests will now be available to the public through the Rhineland-Palatinate "Bathing Water Atlas."
Besides the checks carried out by health authorities, the Rhineland-Palatinate Environment Agency (LfU) regularly examines these swimming spots for potentially hazardous cyanobacteria, which are also known as blue-green algae. Since the comparison between the satellite monitoring and on-site measurements has been favorable in recent years, the authorities can provide an early warning to swimmers if there's a risk of a cyanobacteria overgrowth.
The findings of the hygienic water quality match with the EU Bathing Water Report 2023 released not long ago, informed Climate Protection Minister Katrin Eder (Greens) and LfU President Frank Wissmann. The majority of these swimming spots in Rhineland-Palatinate comply with the set microbiological EU limit values. In the previous bathing season, all other bathing zones except for one were graded as "Excellent" or "Good."
The lone water body receiving a "Sufficient" rating is the Baumholder City Pond. The EU-designated bathing places are categorized into four groups: "Excellent," "Good," "Sufficient," and "Inadequate." These waters undergo yearly tests during the season by the health departments and the Rhineland-Palatinate Environment Agency.
The Rhineland-Palatinate region is home to hundreds of smaller ponds as well as expansive freshwater, including the 331-hectare Laacher See in the Vulkaneifel, within the list of official bathing waters. Along the banks of the Rhine, sprawling recreational spaces and gravel pits can be found.
