TrinkwassermonitorTap water in Germany

Water hardness and tap water in Bad Salzuflen

Kreis Lippe, Nordrhein-Westfalen · Postcode 32105, 32107, 32108

This page is a translation of the German version; the German page is authoritative. German version · Report a translation error

Short answer: Depending on the address, Bad Salzuflen receives water from three supply zones: Zone 1 und 2 (HB Vierenberg) at 16.6 °dH, Zone 3 (HB Walhalla) at 15.5 °dH and Zone 4 (HB Volkhausen) at 19.7 °dH, all in the hardness range “hard” (as of April 2026). All tested parameters with a legal limit (57) meet the limits set by the German Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV). Source: test report by Stadtwerke Bad Salzuflen. WaterScore: 96.4 out of 100 (data coverage: 6 of 7 core parameters).
three waters depending on the district: The values above apply to the water “Zone 1 und 2 (HB Vierenberg)”, according to the supplier for Wüsten, Bad Salzuflen, Biemsen-Ahmsen, Lockhausen. Other waters: “Zone 3 (HB Walhalla)” and “Zone 4 (HB Volkhausen)”. The supplier does not publish how many addresses each water supplies.

Verified drinking-water values: water “Zone 1 und 2 (HB Vierenberg)”

ParameterValueLimit (TrinkwV)Sampling dateSourceStatus
Nitrate40 mg/L
50 mg/LApril 2026Stadtwerke Bad Salzuflenverified
Nitrite0.009 mg/L0.5 mg/L
April 2026Stadtwerke Bad Salzuflenverified
Lead< 0.001 mg/L0.01 mg/L
April 2026Stadtwerke Bad Salzuflenverified
Arsenic< 0.001 mg/L0.01 mg/L
April 2026Stadtwerke Bad Salzuflenverified
Uranium0.00058 mg/L0.01 mg/LApril 2026Stadtwerke Bad Salzuflenverified
Mercury< 0.0001 mg/L0.001 mg/LApril 2026Stadtwerke Bad Salzuflenverified
Copper< 0.01 mg/L2 mg/LApril 2026Stadtwerke Bad Salzuflenverified
Cadmium< 0.0001 mg/L0.003 mg/LApril 2026Stadtwerke Bad Salzuflenverified
Chromium0.00041 mg/L0.025 mg/L
April 2026Stadtwerke Bad Salzuflenverified
Nickel< 0.001 mg/L0.02 mg/LApril 2026Stadtwerke Bad Salzuflenverified
Chloride22 mg/L250 mg/LApril 2026Stadtwerke Bad Salzuflenverified
Sulphate64 mg/L
250 mg/LApril 2026Stadtwerke Bad Salzuflenverified
Sodium7.35 mg/L200 mg/LApril 2026Stadtwerke Bad Salzuflenverified
Calcium69.3 mg/L–April 2026Stadtwerke Bad Salzuflenverified
Magnesium30.1 mg/L–April 2026Stadtwerke Bad Salzuflenverified
pH7.66.5–9.5April 2026Stadtwerke Bad Salzuflenverified
Total hardness16.6 °dH (hard)no legal limitApril 2026Stadtwerke Bad Salzuflenverified
Electrical conductivity600 µS/cm–April 2026Stadtwerke Bad Salzuflenverified
Fluoride< 0.1 mg/L1.5 mg/LApril 2026Stadtwerke Bad Salzuflenverified
Iron< 0.01 mg/L0.2 mg/LApril 2026Stadtwerke Bad Salzuflenverified
Manganese< 0.005 mg/L0.05 mg/LApril 2026Stadtwerke Bad Salzuflenverified
Ammonium< 0.05 mg/L0.5 mg/LApril 2026Stadtwerke Bad Salzuflenverified
Coliform bacteria0 KBE/100ml0 per 100 mlApril 2026Stadtwerke Bad Salzuflenverified
Trihalomethanes (THM)< 0.5 µg/L50 µg/LApril 2026Stadtwerke Bad Salzuflenverified

Note from the test report (in the German original): Untersuchungsergebnisse der Stadtwerke, Stand April 2026 (ein genauer Tag ist nicht angegeben), Spalte HB Vierenberg, Zone 1 und 2. Diese Zone umfasst laut Stadtwerken Wüsten, Bad Salzuflen, Biemsen-Ahmsen und Lockhausen. Die Hochbehälter Obernberg (Zone 2) und Langenberg (Zone 1) stehen im selben Blatt mit Stand Oktober 2025 und fast gleichen Werten. Nitrat liegt mit 40 mg/l unter dem Grenzwert von 50 mg/l. Die Härte reicht in Bad Salzuflen je nach Zone von 15,5 bis 19,7 °dH. In den Grenzgebieten der Ortsteile kann die Zuordnung abweichen; welcher Hochbehälter eine Adresse versorgt, teilen die Stadtwerke auf Anfrage mit. Die Tabelle enthält kein PFAS. Die Werte gelten ab Hochbehälter.

Is a value wrong or out of date? Report an error – we check every report against the original source.

Water at your own tap: The values describe the water the supplier delivers – not automatically the water at your tap. The water supplier is responsible up to the service connection (Hausanschluss); the building owner is responsible for the pipes beyond it. Lead can dissolve from lead pipes, leaded solder joints or old brass fittings, especially when water has stood in the pipes for a long time (stagnant water); this mainly affects buildings constructed before about 1973. If water has stood in the pipes for several hours, let it run until it comes out cool. If you suspect lead pipes, a lead analysis of the stagnant water by an accredited laboratory will help.

Background on household plumbing, not a measurement: in Bad Salzuflen, 55 % of buildings with living space were built before 1970, and a further 15 % between 1970 and 1979 (Zensus 2022, Statistisches Bundesamt, dl-de/by-2-0). (Zensus 2022) According to the German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt), lead pipes exist at most in houses built before 1973 – and by no means in all of them. Whether there are any in your house is known to the owner or a plumber. (UBA)

What the values mean for Bad Salzuflen

Water hardness in Bad Salzuflen in everyday life

At 16.6 °dH, Bad Salzuflen is in the hardness range “hard” (soft: below 8.4 °dH, medium: 8.4–14 °dH, hard: above 14 °dH).

Baby food and low sodium: tap water in Bad Salzuflen 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 Salzuflen 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.

Values at the waterworks next to the maximum levels for bottled water “suitable for infant food”
SubstanceMaximum levelValue in Bad Salzuflen
Sodium20 mg/l7.35 mg/l – not above
Nitrate10 mg/l40 mg/l – above the bottled-water threshold
Nitrite0.02 mg/l0.009 mg/l – not above
Sulphate240 mg/l64 mg/l – not above
Fluoride0.7 mg/lbelow the detection limit (0.1 mg/l) – not above
Manganese0.05 mg/lbelow the detection limit (0.005 mg/l) – not above
Arsenic0.005 mg/lbelow the detection limit (0.001 mg/l) – not above
Uranium0.002 mg/l0.00058 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 7.35 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 Salzuflen

Can you drink the tap water in Bad Salzuflen?

According to the verified values, yes: All tested parameters with a legal limit (57) meet the limits set by the German Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV). WaterScore: 96.4 out of 100 (data coverage: 6 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 Salzuflen?

It depends on the address: Zone 1 und 2 (HB Vierenberg) 16.6 °dH, Zone 3 (HB Walhalla) 15.5 °dH and Zone 4 (HB Volkhausen) 19.7 °dH – all in the hardness range “hard”. Dose detergent for the hardness range “hard” – a larger amount is needed; a water softener for the washing machine can save detergent.

Is there PFAS in the tap water in Bad Salzuflen?

The published analysis by Stadtwerke Bad Salzuflen that we evaluated gives no PFAS value. This does not mean there is no PFAS in the water; there is simply no figure for it. Since 12 January 2026, a limit of 0.1 µg/l has applied to the sum of PFAS-20. The supplier can tell you whether PFAS was measured and with what result. For the other waters, the analyses give no PFAS value.

Do I need to filter my tap water in Bad Salzuflen?

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.

Is the nitrate level in Bad Salzuflen a concern?

It depends on the address: Zone 1 und 2 (HB Vierenberg) 40 mg/L, Zone 3 (HB Walhalla) 33 mg/L and Zone 4 (HB Volkhausen) 27 mg/L. All values are below the limit of 50 mg/L. The limit of the Drinking Water Ordinance also applies to preparing baby food; mineral water labelled “suitable for preparing infant food” („geeignet für die Zubereitung von Säuglingsnahrung“) may contain at most 10 mg/L nitrate. Boiling does not help against nitrate.

WaterScore

Data coverage: 6 of 7 core parameters. Not in the test report: PFAS (sum). 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

Suggested citation: Trinkwassermonitor (2026): Tap water in Bad Salzuflen. Values according to the water supplier’s test report, sampling date April 2026; at the waterworks, not household plumbing. https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/bad-salzuflen/

JSON: /api/v1/evidence?city=bad-salzuflen

Data as of: April 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 Salzuflen. Retrieved from https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/bad-salzuflen/.”

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