Munich’s Bathing Lakes Show Excellent Water Quality for 2026 Season
Munich, June 3, 2026 – The 2026 bathing season in Munich has officially commenced with excellent news for residents and visitors: all eight of the city’s bathing lakes boast impeccable water quality, ensuring safe and enjoyable swimming for everyone. The Health Department’s initial two sampling rounds for the year have confirmed that all hygienic requirements for water quality are being met without exception. This positive trend continues from the 2025 bathing season, during which all bacterial concentrations remained well within safe limits.
Consistent Monitoring Ensures High Standards
Throughout the current bathing season, which runs from May to September, the Health Department will maintain its rigorous monitoring program, regularly checking the water quality of the eight lakes through microbiological examinations. Monitoring began in May, with monthly samples taken in accordance with the Bavarian Bathing Water Ordinance (Bay-BadeGewV). These samplings are further supplemented by bi-weekly on-site inspections. The results of these ongoing investigations are made publicly available on the official city website at www.muenchen.de/badeseen.
“Excellent” Ratings for Most Lakes, Riemer See Under Scrutiny
The assessment of bathing water quality is conducted using a specific statistical procedure known as conformity calculation, applied individually to each EU bathing site. This process retrospectively considers measurement values from the current year and the preceding three years after each bathing season. For the initial assessment of the EU bathing site “Riemer See – Nord,” which was registered as a new EU measuring point in 2023, a three-year observation period (2023-2025) was chosen, as stipulated by the Bavarian Bathing Water Ordinance, due to the availability of at least 16 individual samples.
Seven of Munich’s eight bathing lakes have consistently received an “excellent” rating. However, the EU bathing site Riemer See-Süd currently holds a “good” rating, while Riemer See-Nord has been classified as “poor.” This classification is attributed to two brief contamination incidents, one in 2023 and another in 2024. The EU conformity calculation, which considers data over several years, led to this retrospective overall judgment of “poor.”
Measures Implemented to Improve Riemer See Water Quality
The contaminations at Riemer See were likely caused by waterfowl. In response, the City of Munich initiated several measures in the summer of 2024. Green areas are now mowed more frequently, which helps to collect bird droppings before they can enter the lake. Additionally, crow-proof waste bins with increased emptying frequencies and stricter enforcement of feeding bans are contributing to a reduction in contamination from birds. The consistently unremarkable samplings from the 2025 bathing season, along with the initial test results from 2026, demonstrate that these measures are having an immediate positive impact on water quality, ensuring continuous compliance with the quality requirements of the BayBadeGewV.
The Bavarian State Office for Health and Food Safety has also assessed these developments and concluded that there is no need to impose restrictions or a bathing ban for the “Riemer See – Nord” bathing site for the 2026 bathing season.
Sun Protection Remains Crucial
To ensure that everyone can enjoy their time in and around the cool water without adverse effects, the Health Department reminds bathers about the importance of adequate sun protection. This is best achieved by reducing exposure time during strong sunlight, seeking shade, and protecting skin and eyes with clothing, sunscreen, and sunglasses.
