Concern about planned discharge into the Woog – risk must be ruled out
The FDP parliamentary group in Darmstadt has expressed concerns about the planned connection of the Meiereibach stream to the Darmbach stream and thus to the Grosser Woog stream. According to FDP city councilor Marie Guerdan, there is a risk of the bathing lake becoming contaminated with harmful germs.
response to a minor inquiry, Guerdan received readings from Paul Georg Wandrey, head of the civil engineering department, indicating that elevated levels of Escherichia coli had been detected several times in the Meiereibach stream at the outflow of the Judenteich pond behind the Hottonia site. While the water quality in the Woog itself continues to be classified as "excellent," the stream exceeded the EU guideline values for bathing water on several test days.
"We must keep an eye on bacterial contamination as well as nutrient reduction," emphasizes Guerdan. "While feeding the Woog with additional freshwater is desirable—especially in the hot summer months—we cannot take the risk of introducing germs. Otherwise, in the worst case scenario, the swimming pool could be closed."
The FDP politician is demanding that the city council develop a concept for how the discharge of the Meiereibach into the Darmbach can be implemented without endangering the water quality – especially after heavy rain, when contaminated water from the agricultural areas on the Oberfeld is washed into the stream.
As a reminder, at the end of 2022, the city council decided to connect the Meiereibach stream to the Darmbach stream via a phosphate filter system to reduce nutrient pollution. However, according to City Councilor Wandrey, no concrete timeline can be presented at this time, as this depends on the budget situation.
Measurement values at a glance (selection):
- Meiereibach, Judenteich outlet:
• May 13, 2025: 927 CFU E. coli / 100 ml
• July 4, 2025: 1,160 CFU E. coli / 100 ml - Woog, summer 2025:
• 21–32 CFU E. coli / 100 ml
For comparison, the EU Bathing Water Directive stipulates a maximum value of 500 CFU E. coli per 100 ml for "excellent quality." Values above 900 CFU are no longer considered sufficient.
(Darmstadt - Red/FDP)
