The history of maintenance at Westbad has proven to be a significant test for its regular visitors. The previous stage, which involved a full replacement of the roof, lasted nearly a year and concluded in April 2025. The process was marred by systematic delays caused by construction material shortages and adverse weather conditions. However, as experience has shown, renewing the building’s exterior shell did not guarantee the uninterrupted operation of its internal systems. Shortly after reopening, full-scale use revealed critical wear in the water treatment units.
The reason for the latest closure lies in the state of the filtration systems — a fundamental element of any pool’s technical infrastructure. Munich City Utilities (SWM) released an official statement on Friday, March 27, noting that inspections had identified an urgent need for a major overhaul of the filtration systems. The decision to close is based on safety requirements: equipment wear has reached a level where the risk of sudden system failure during peak hours has become unacceptable. Technical work is set to begin on April 27 and will continue until autumn. The only silver lining remains the schedule for Westbad’s outdoor area, which will open for the season as planned on May 14.
Planned Technical Measures
SWM’s engineering department emphasizes that the final scope of the work will only be clear once the internal components are dismantled and analyzed in detail. Nevertheless, a substantial list of technological tasks has already been compiled. The process will begin with the complete decommissioning and preservation of the indoor pool’s systems.
Specialists will undertake the labor-intensive removal and disposal of old filter sand, followed by deep cleaning and anti-corrosion preparation of the internal tank surfaces. Particular attention will be paid to welding work on eroded sections, as well as the replacement of support structures and distribution nozzles. The final stage will involve the application of a specialized protective coating. SWM representatives underscore that if hidden defects are discovered, parts of the high-value equipment may be replaced entirely, a standard protocol in the maintenance of facilities of this class.
Analogy to Equipment Maintenance
Addressing the logical question from residents as to why this work was not performed alongside the roof replacement, SWM employs a pragmatic analogy. The current situation is compared to vehicle maintenance: an owner always aims to minimize downtime and rarely agrees to a preemptive engine replacement if the initial reason for the service visit was a leaky sunroof. The utility’s logic is based on the separation of budgets and maintenance cycles for different engineering systems.
For residents of Munich’s western districts accustomed to Westbad’s facilities, the coming months will require a shift to outdoor venues, with hopes for favorable weather conditions this coming summer.
