Water hardness and tap water in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe
Hochtaunuskreis, Hessen · Postcode 61348, 61350, 61352
This page is a translation of the German version; the German page is authoritative. German version · Report a translation error
- Limits of the Drinking Water OrdinancemetAll tested parameters (95), at the waterworks
- Water hardness16.8 °dH, hardNo legal limit, only a range
- Data coverageCore parameters: 7 of 7Score based on complete data
Verified drinking-water values: water “Tiefzone”
Note from the test report (in the German original): Stadtwerke Bad Homburg · Analysenbericht 202612180 des Hessenwasser-Zentrallabors, Ortsnetzprobe vom 16.06.2026 (Kindertagesstätte Friedrich Ebert, Unterer Mittelweg 24). Diese Werte gelten für die Tiefzone. Die Härte reicht in Bad Homburg je nach Zone von 4,06 bis 16,8 °dH; die Zone Ihrer Straße zeigt die Straßensuche der Stadtwerke. Blei und Kupfer gelten für diese Entnahmestelle, im eigenen Haus können sie abweichen.
What the values mean for Bad Homburg vor der Höhe
- Nitrate 17 mg/L – about 34 % of the limit of 50 mg/L and in the medium range – such values occur in catchments shaped by agriculture. Boiling does not reduce nitrate.
- PFAS (sum of PFAS-20) 5 ng/L – about 5 % of the limit of 100 ng/L (since 12 January 2026).
- Lead 0.15 µg/L – about 2 % of the limit of 10 µg/L, measured at the waterworks. Today’s limit is met; it will drop to 5 µg/L on 12 January 2028. Lead from household plumbing (old lead pipes) comes on top of this and is not covered by this value.
- Uranium 1.3 µg/L – unremarkable against a limit of 10 µg/L. In some regions uranium occurs naturally from the rock (geogenic).
- pH 7.31 – within the range of the Drinking Water Ordinance (6.5 to 9.5). The pH determines how corrosive the water is in household plumbing.
Water hardness in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe in everyday life
At 16.8 °dH, Bad Homburg vor der Höhe is in the hardness range “hard” (soft: below 8.4 °dH, medium: 8.4–14 °dH, hard: above 14 °dH).
- Dose detergent for the hardness range “hard” – a larger amount is needed; a water softener for the washing machine can save detergent.
- Limescale builds up quickly: descale the kettle about every two to three weeks, and taps and shower heads too.
- In your own house, limescale protection or a water softener can be worthwhile at this hardness; in a rented flat, the owner decides.
Baby food and low sodium: tap water in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe next to the bottled-water thresholds
Bottled water may only be labelled “suitable for preparing infant food” („geeignet für die Zubereitung von Säuglingsnahrung“) if it keeps to the maximum levels of the German Mineral and Table Water Ordinance (Mineral- und Tafelwasser-Verordnung, Annex 6). Here the published values for Bad Homburg vor der Höhe are shown next to them, each substance on its own. This is a comparison with labelling thresholds for bottled water, not a statement on whether your tap water is suitable for baby food. (Min/TafelWV, Anlage 6)
For context: the German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt) considers preparing baby food with bottled water carrying this label necessary only in rare cases, for example when tap water is temporarily allowed to contain more than 50 mg/l nitrate. (UBA 2016, p. 59) Water from lead pipes in the house is always unsuitable for infants. (UBA 2020, p. 16) The values apply at the waterworks.
| Substance | Maximum level | Value in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium | 20 mg/l | 19.3 mg/l – not above |
| Nitrate | 10 mg/l | 17 mg/l – above the bottled-water threshold |
| Nitrite | 0.02 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.03 mg/l) – cannot be assessed |
| Sulphate | 240 mg/l | 33.9 mg/l – not above |
| Fluoride | 0.7 mg/l | 0.24 mg/l – not above |
| Manganese | 0.05 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.001 mg/l) – not above |
| Arsenic | 0.005 mg/l | 0.00041 mg/l – not above |
| Uranium | 0.002 mg/l | 0.0013 mg/l – not above |
Against the other thresholds of Annex 6, the water would qualify as: low in sodium (“suitable for a low-sodium diet”) (Sodium 19.3 mg/l, threshold below 20 mg/l).
Questions about baby food are answered by your midwife, your paediatrician and the health office (Gesundheitsamt).
Frequently asked questions about tap water in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe
Can you drink the tap water in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe?
According to the verified values, yes: All tested parameters with a legal limit (95) meet the limits set by the German Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV). WaterScore: 100 out of 100 (data coverage: 7 of 7 core parameters). This applies to the water from the waterworks – restrictions can only arise from old household plumbing.
How hard is the water in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe?
It depends on the address: Tiefzone 16.8 °dH, Hochzone 5.29 °dH, Mittelzone 4.8 °dH, Mittelzone 2 4.06 °dH and Zone M3 10.3 °dH. The waters are in different hardness ranges (“hard”, “soft” and “medium”); detergent and descaler should follow the water at your address.
Is there PFAS in the tap water in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe?
Yes, in measurable amounts: according to the published analysis by Stadtwerke Bad Homburg v. d. Höhe (as of 16 June 2026), the sum of PFAS-20 is 0.005 µg/l – that is 5 % of the limit of 0.1 µg/l, which has applied since 12 January 2026. Even this sum of all 20 substances is below the limit of 0.02 µg/l that applies from 12 January 2028 to the sum of four of them (PFAS-4).
Do I need to filter my tap water in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe?
Based on the verified supplier values, a filter is not necessary. It can make sense if you do not like the taste. If you suspect lead pipes in an old building, a filter does not help; a laboratory analysis at the tap does – that is a question of the household plumbing, not of the water leaving the works.
WaterScore
- Total100 / 100
- Chemical safety100 / 100
- Heavy metals100 / 100
- PFAS100 / 100
- Nutrients100 / 100
- General parameters100 / 100
- Data timeliness100 / 100
- Data quality100 / 100
Data coverage: 7 of 7 core parameters. Missing parameters are neither estimated nor counted as harmless: the score is based only on the values available. It is not a health assessment and says nothing about the water beyond the service connection. Methodology v4: how we calculate the WaterScore.
Evidence: cite and check
- Analysenbericht 202612180 vom 17.07.2026, Versorgungszone Tiefzone (Stadtwerke Bad Homburg v. d. Höhe (Analyse: Hessenwasser Zentrallabor)) · SHA-256 of the evaluated file: 60aa0e76e76acf45…, checked on 1 November 2026
Suggested citation: Trinkwassermonitor (2026): Tap water in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe. Values according to the water supplier’s test report, sampling date 16 June 2026; at the waterworks, not household plumbing. https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/bad-homburg-vor-der-hoehe/
JSON: /api/v1/evidence?city=bad-homburg-vor-der-hoehe
Data as of: 16 June 2026 · verified: 24 of 24 evaluated parameters.
This page shows only verified test data with sources, or states explicitly where data is missing (no estimated values). Cite as: “Trinkwassermonitor (2026). Tap water in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe. Retrieved from https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/bad-homburg-vor-der-hoehe/.”