Plettenberg: Aquamagis is planning a whopping 900,000 euro payout – what does that mean?

Plettenberg: Aquamagis is planning a whopping 900,000 euro payout – what does that mean?

On July 5, 2025, the annual financial statements of Aquamagis and Stadtwerke Plettenberg will be the focus of the upcoming council meeting on July 8, 2025. This meeting will take place at 5 p.m. in the Plettenberg council chamber and will provide an important opportunity to discuss the financial results of both institutions.

Stadtwerke Plettenberg's annual profit for 2024 is 4.27 million euros, with sales of 7.6 million euros. Particularly noteworthy is the profit transfer agreement, which distributes 3.21 million euros to Aquamagis GmbH. An additional compensation payment of 1.06 million euros was made to Mark-E, resulting in an annual profit of 0 euros. The high rental income is the main source of this profit, and the annual rent is 5.98 million euros.

Prize payouts and challenges

Aquamagis, on the other hand, closed 2024 with an annual profit of 1.87 million euros and plans to distribute profits of 900,000 euros. The city of Plettenberg receives 11 percent of this, which corresponds to around 99,000 euros, while Kultour GmbH receives 89 percent, i.e. around 801,000 euros. Despite these positive figures, Aquamagis GmbH is facing challenges: energy costs have risen and there is discussion as to whether admission prices need to be adjusted. The costs for electricity and gas have risen significantly in recent years.

Additionally, Aquamagis saw visitor numbers decline to 317,000 in 2023, down from 336,000 the previous year. This is partly attributed to a long revision. In order to continue to make operations successful, investments of around 1.1 million euros are planned for 2024, including projects such as a new slide and the installation of photovoltaic systems.

Financial support and subsidies

An analysis of Aquamagis' financial situation shows that the pool was heavily dependent on subsidies from the Plettenberg public utility company in the past. In the years 2015 to 2019, the profit was only possible thanks to financial aid from the municipal utilities, whereas the actual deficits were significant. For example, the deficit in 2019 was 1,486,360 euros, which corresponds to an improvement of 178,216 euros compared to the previous year.

In order to ensure affordable admission prices, which are particularly important for the predominantly out-of-town visitors, the customers of Stadtwerke Plettenberg subsidize this area significantly. Therefore, support from the municipal utilities remains a central pillar for the operation of Aquamagis.

The upcoming council meeting will play a key role in discussing the future direction of the two institutions and making necessary decisions with regard to possible adjustments to admission prices and other financial measures.

For further information on current topics surrounding Aquamagis, visit the website Come on and D. Küppers.