Partly because there aren’t enough lifeguards: there won’t be a water rescue station at Cossi before 2030

Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar: Zum deutschen Artikel.

Recently, there have been an increasing number of incidents in which people have been found lifeless in the water at Leipzig’s swimming lakes. The heat is not only driving Leipzig’s residents to the swimming spots in droves; it is also taking its toll on many a swimmer who overestimates their strength and underestimates the dangers of the water – this is nothing new. This was already a matter of concern for Leipzig City Council back in 2020, and it had in fact instructed the city administration to take appropriate measures to improve safety at Leipzig’s water bodies.

“On the initiative of the Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen and SPD parliamentary groups, the city administration was instructed as early as 2020 to take appropriate measures to improve safety for bathers at Leipzig’s water bodies. Two years ago, with motion VII-DS-08629 ‘Improving safety on Leipzig’s waterways’, the Council finally adopted a comprehensive package of measures to improve safety for bathers at Leipzig’s lakes.

In particular, a water rescue station was to be established at Lake Cospuden at the start of the 2026 season, a permanent post was to be created to deal with this issue, and additional measures were to be planned for the other bodies of water. ‘The status of implementation at the start of the 2026 season is of interest,’ stated the Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen parliamentary group in its latest question on the subject.

The rescue station at Lake Cospuden is still a long way off. Regarding Lake Cospuden, the Department for the Environment states: “No location has been finalised as yet. Nor have any planning efforts yet been undertaken,” explains the Office for Urban Greenery and Waterways. Perhaps because the city intends to wait until 2030. “From 1 May 2030, the land on the northern shore of Lake Cospuden is to be re-let. We are currently examining the extent to which the construction and operation of a water rescue station can be made a condition of the new lease for the tenant,” explains the Environment Department.

This once again highlights the town’s tight budget: the aim is to oblige the future tenant to set up such a rescue station.

Lack of lifeguards

And in the meantime? The city should really have found an interim solution. But this has simply failed due to a lack of lifeguards.

Or, in the words of the Environment Department: “Following consultation with potential service providers, a temporary solution is not feasible either in the short term (due to a lack of volunteer lifeguards) or without the necessary infrastructure.”

So there is no temporary lifeguard station either. Even though the city has actually included the budget for this lifeguard station in its budget – 200,000 euros as early as 2026 and 300,000 euros in 2027. It just isn’t being built. And the State Directorate has only released 100,000 euros for 2026 – which, as the Environment Department reports, was in fact used for other measures:

“Following extensive consultation with the Saxony State Directorate, an initial sum of 100,000 euros from the funds earmarked for 2026 was released in June 2026. The funds were released because the measures to improve safety at other bodies of water constitute hazard prevention measures and are therefore measures relating to basic infrastructure provision in accordance with Annex 1 of the Administrative Regulation on Municipal Budget Management (VwV Kommunale Haushaltswirtschaft).”

Specifically, the following has been implemented: “Signage relating to bathing traffic has already been erected at Auensee. The installation of corresponding signage at all other bodies of water is planned for 2026.

At Lindenauer Harbour and along the connection from Lindenauer Harbour to the Karl-Heine Canal, additional exit points and a handrail system between these exit points are also to be installed.

Likewise, all bodies of water are to be equipped with lifebuoys and, where necessary, additional rescue equipment and further signage.”

Monitoring of water rescue operations? Still a long way off

The City Council had actually commissioned a water rescue monitoring programme as well. However, this too has not yet been implemented. The Department for the Environment explains the situation regarding Lake Kulkwitz as follows: “As the post aimed at improving safety on Leipzig’s bodies of water could not be filled until August 2025 – and thus at the end of the bathing season – no monitoring has yet been carried out. Monitoring is due to begin in 2027.”

At least the post has now been filled.

And for Lake Cospuden, the monitoring is set to begin even later: “Monitoring is only planned once a water rescue station has been built. The legal assessment of the approximately 100 other bodies of water is, in accordance with the resolution, not due to begin until 2027.”

So Leipzig residents keen on swimming would be well advised to look out for one another when swimming in the lakes. At Lake Cospuden in particular, it will be years before a lifeguard station is built and can become operational.