Water hardness and tap water in Bad Soden am Taunus
Main-Taunus-Kreis, Hessen · Postcode 65812
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 (93), at the waterworks
- Water hardness16.4 °dH, hardNo legal limit, only a range
- Data coverageCore parameters: 7 of 7Score based on complete data
Verified drinking-water values: water “Tiefzone Kernstadt”
Note from the test report (in the German original): Stadtwerke Bad Soden am Taunus · Prüfbericht 7975871 des SGS Instituts Fresenius, Ortsnetzprobe vom 10.03.2026 (Rathaus, Königsteiner Straße 73). Diese Werte gelten für Tiefzone Kernstadt; die Stadt nennt die Straßen je Zone in ihrem Straßenverzeichnis. Die Probe stammt aus dem Netz an einer Entnahmestelle, deshalb enthält der Bericht auch Blei und Kupfer; im eigenen Haus können sie abweichen. Am Ausgang des Hochbehälters Dachberg lagen am selben Tag Härte 17,3 °dH, Eisen 0,10 und Mangan 0,011 mg/l; die Härte schwankt je nach Mischung.
Background on household plumbing, not a measurement: in Bad Soden am Taunus, 44 % of buildings with living space were built before 1970, and a further 19 % 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 Soden am Taunus
- Nitrate 2.2 mg/L – about 4 % of the limit of 50 mg/L and in the unremarkable range. Boiling does not reduce nitrate.
- PFAS (sum of PFAS-20) 2 ng/L – about 2 % of the limit of 100 ng/L (since 12 January 2026).
- Lead – not detectable at the waterworks. Lead gets into the water almost only through old lead pipes in household plumbing, not via the supplier.
- Uranium – not detectable at the waterworks (limit 10 µg/L).
- pH 7.37 – 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 Soden am Taunus in everyday life
At 16.4 °dH, Bad Soden am Taunus 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 Soden am Taunus 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 Soden am Taunus 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 Soden am Taunus |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium | 20 mg/l | 15.5 mg/l – not above |
| Nitrate | 10 mg/l | 2.2 mg/l – not above |
| Nitrite | 0.02 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.02 mg/l) – not above |
| Sulphate | 240 mg/l | 59 mg/l – not above |
| Fluoride | 0.7 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.2 mg/l) – not above |
| Manganese | 0.05 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.005 mg/l) – not above |
| Arsenic | 0.005 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.001 mg/l) – not above |
| Uranium | 0.002 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.0005 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 15.5 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 Soden am Taunus
Can you drink the tap water in Bad Soden am Taunus?
According to the verified values, yes: All tested parameters with a legal limit (93) 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 Soden am Taunus?
It depends on the address: Tiefzone Kernstadt 16.4 °dH, Altenhain 16.4 °dH, Hochzone Kernstadt 16.4 °dH, Hochzone Neuenhain 15.3 °dH and Niederzone Neuenhain 16.3 °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 Soden am Taunus?
Yes, in measurable amounts: according to the published analysis by Stadtwerke Bad Soden am Taunus (as of 10 March 2026), the sum of PFAS-20 is 0.002 µg/l – that is 2 % 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 Soden am Taunus?
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
- Prüfbericht 7975871 vom 24.04.2026, Tiefzone Kernstadt, Probe 251265571 (Stadtwerke Bad Soden am Taunus (Analyse: SGS Institut Fresenius)) · SHA-256 of the evaluated file: e3da6005c3269ee1…, checked on 1 November 2026
Suggested citation: Trinkwassermonitor (2026): Tap water in Bad Soden am Taunus. Values according to the water supplier’s test report, sampling date 10 March 2026; at the waterworks, not household plumbing. https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/bad-soden-am-taunus/
JSON: /api/v1/evidence?city=bad-soden-am-taunus
Data as of: 10 March 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 Soden am Taunus. Retrieved from https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/bad-soden-am-taunus/.”