TrinkwassermonitorTap water in Germany

Water hardness and tap water in Bayreuth

Bayreuth, Bayern · Postcode 95444, 95445, 95447, 95448

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

Short answer: The tap water in Bayreuth has a total hardness of 5.5 °dH, hardness range “soft” (as of 8 April 2025). All tested parameters with a legal limit (16) meet the limits set by the German Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV). Source: test report by Stadtwerke Bayreuth. WaterScore: 98 out of 100 (data coverage: 6 of 7 core parameters).

Verified drinking-water values

ParameterValueLimit (TrinkwV)Sampling dateSourceStatus
Nitrate6.2 mg/L
50 mg/L8 April 2025Stadtwerke Bayreuth Energie und Wasser GmbHverified
Nitrite< 0.01 mg/L0.5 mg/L8 April 2025Stadtwerke Bayreuth Energie und Wasser GmbHverified
Lead< 0.0005 mg/L0.01 mg/L
8 April 2025Stadtwerke Bayreuth Energie und Wasser GmbHverified
Arsenic< 0.0005 mg/L0.01 mg/L
8 April 2025Stadtwerke Bayreuth Energie und Wasser GmbHverified
Uranium< 0.0005 mg/L0.01 mg/L8 April 2025Stadtwerke Bayreuth Energie und Wasser GmbHverified
Mercury< 0.0002 mg/L0.001 mg/L8 April 2025Stadtwerke Bayreuth Energie und Wasser GmbHverified
Copper< 0.001 mg/L2 mg/L8 April 2025Stadtwerke Bayreuth Energie und Wasser GmbHverified
Chloride9.5 mg/L250 mg/L8 April 2025Stadtwerke Bayreuth Energie und Wasser GmbHverified
Sulphate11.4 mg/L250 mg/L8 April 2025Stadtwerke Bayreuth Energie und Wasser GmbHverified
Sodium6.7 mg/L200 mg/L8 April 2025Stadtwerke Bayreuth Energie und Wasser GmbHverified
Calcium36.7 mg/L–8 April 2025Stadtwerke Bayreuth Energie und Wasser GmbHverified
Magnesium1.8 mg/L–8 April 2025Stadtwerke Bayreuth Energie und Wasser GmbHverified
pH8.176.5–9.58 April 2025Stadtwerke Bayreuth Energie und Wasser GmbHverified
Total hardness5.5 °dH (soft)no legal limit8 April 2025Stadtwerke Bayreuth Energie und Wasser GmbHverified
Electrical conductivity237 µS/cm–8 April 2025Stadtwerke Bayreuth Energie und Wasser GmbHverified
Fluoride< 0.1 mg/L1.5 mg/L8 April 2025Stadtwerke Bayreuth Energie und Wasser GmbHverified
Iron< 0.01 mg/L0.2 mg/L8 April 2025Stadtwerke Bayreuth Energie und Wasser GmbHverified
Manganese< 0.003 mg/L0.05 mg/L8 April 2025Stadtwerke Bayreuth Energie und Wasser GmbHverified
Ammonium< 0.01 mg/L0.5 mg/L8 April 2025Stadtwerke Bayreuth Energie und Wasser GmbHverified
Trihalomethanes (THM)7.5 µg/L
50 µg/L8 April 2025Stadtwerke Bayreuth Energie und Wasser GmbHverified

Note from the test report (in the German original): Dieser Bericht deckt die Abgabe aus dem Hochbehälter Hohe Warte II ab, der laut Stadtwerke Bayreuth das Stadtgebiet Bayreuth (sowie die Ortsteile Gesees, Unterschreez und Oberschreez) versorgt. Ein Teil des Stadtnetzes wird zusätzlich aus den Wasserwerken Eichelberg (weich, 6,6 °dH) und Eichelacker (mittel, 11,0 °dH) gespeist – die Werte können je nach Straße/Netzabschnitt also abweichen. Untersuchung vom 08.04.2025. Für coliforme Bakterien liegt im Dokument nur die qualitative Aussage vor, dass die mikrobiologischen Anforderungen der TrinkwV jederzeit eingehalten werden – kein Zahlenwert, daher hier nicht aufgeführt. PFAS wird in diesem Bericht nicht untersucht.

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 Bayreuth, 49 % of buildings with living space were built before 1970, and a further 18 % 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 Bayreuth

Water hardness in Bayreuth in everyday life

At 5.5 °dH, Bayreuth is in the hardness range “soft” (soft: below 8.4 °dH, medium: 8.4–14 °dH, hard: above 14 °dH).

Baby food and low sodium: tap water in Bayreuth 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 Bayreuth 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)

Values at the waterworks next to the maximum levels for bottled water “suitable for infant food”
SubstanceMaximum levelValue in Bayreuth
Sodium20 mg/l6.7 mg/l – not above
Nitrate10 mg/l6.2 mg/l – not above
Nitrite0.02 mg/lbelow the detection limit (0.01 mg/l) – not above
Sulphate240 mg/l11.4 mg/l – not above
Fluoride0.7 mg/lbelow the detection limit (0.1 mg/l) – not above
Manganese0.05 mg/lbelow the detection limit (0.003 mg/l) – not above
Arsenic0.005 mg/lbelow the detection limit (0.0005 mg/l) – not above
Uranium0.002 mg/lbelow 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 6.7 mg/l, threshold below 20 mg/l).

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. Questions about baby food are answered by your midwife, your paediatrician and the health office (Gesundheitsamt).

Frequently asked questions about tap water in Bayreuth

Can you drink the tap water in Bayreuth?

According to the verified values, yes: All tested parameters with a legal limit (16) meet the limits set by the German Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV). WaterScore: 98 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 Bayreuth?

The total hardness is 5.5 °dH – hardness range “soft”. Dose detergent for the hardness range “soft” – the lowest amount on the pack.

Is there PFAS in the tap water in Bayreuth?

The published analysis by Stadtwerke Bayreuth 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.

Do I need to filter my tap water in Bayreuth?

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

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 v3: how we calculate the WaterScore.

Evidence: cite and check

Suggested citation: Trinkwassermonitor (2025): Tap water in Bayreuth. Values according to the water supplier’s test report, sampling date 8 April 2025; at the waterworks, not household plumbing. https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/bayreuth/

JSON: /api/v1/evidence?city=bayreuth

Data as of: 8 April 2025 · verified: 20 of 20 evaluated parameters. (older than twelve months – under § 46 TrinkwV your supplier must publish current values online)

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 Bayreuth. Retrieved from https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/bayreuth/.”

Further information