Bathing in rivers is becoming increasingly popular. However, it is a particular challenge to establish suitable bathing areas. On the one hand, river currents and inland navigation are considerable risks for swimming in the river. On the other hand, precautionary measures must be taken to protect bathers also in case of varying hygienic water quality. How to deal with such risks?

The German Federal Environment Agency has published extensive guidelines for this purpose, drawn up together with the team of the joint project FLUSSHYGIENE funded by the BMBF. From 2015 to 2019, this by KWB coordinated project investigated the dynamics of the input of microbiological substances into rivers. Against the background of establishing safe bathing areas on rivers, the research team from various institutions and authorities carried out studies throughout Germany on the rivers Rhine, Moselle, Ruhr, Isar, Ilz, Spree and Havel.

The guidelines for managing short-term pollutions in surface waters can be downloaded from the website auf the German Federal Environment Agency (Leitfaden zum Umgang mit „kurzzeitigen Verschmutzungen“ in Gewässern) (in German).