Water hardness and tap water in Celle
Landkreis Celle, Niedersachsen · Postcode 29221, 29223, 29225, 29227, 29229
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 (14), at the waterworks
- Water hardness6.55 °dH, softNo legal limit, only a range
- Data coverageCore parameters: 5 of 7Score based on complete data
Verified drinking-water values
Note from the test report (in the German original): Deckt das Wasserwerk Garßen ab, das laut Stadtwerke Celle die Stadt Celle und alle Ortsteile (Blumlage, Neuenhäusen, Klein/Groß Hehlen, Altencelle, Westercelle, Vorwerk, Garßen usw.) zentral versorgt – keine Teilversorgungsgebiete zu beachten. Probenahme: 07.07.2025, Prüfende: 04.08.2025. Die Gesamthärte wird im Prüfbericht nur in mmol/l angegeben (1,17 mmol/l); der °dH-Wert wurde mit dem Standardfaktor 1 mmol/l = 5,6 °dH umgerechnet (ergibt 6,55 °dH, Härtebereich weich). Das 2-seitige Prüfbericht-PDF enthält keine mikrobiologischen Parameter (coliforme Bakterien/E. coli), kein Uran, keine PFAS und keine Trihalomethane – diese wurden daher weggelassen statt erfunden. Eisen (0,121 mg/l) liegt nahe, aber unterhalb des Grenzwerts von 0,200 mg/l.
Background on household plumbing, not a measurement: in Celle, 60 % of buildings with living space were built before 1970, and a further 14 % 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 Celle
- Lead – not detectable at the waterworks. Lead gets into the water almost only through old lead pipes in household plumbing, not via the supplier.
- pH 7.7 – 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 Celle in everyday life
At 6.55 °dH, Celle is in the hardness range “soft” (soft: below 8.4 °dH, medium: 8.4–14 °dH, hard: above 14 °dH).
- Dose detergent for the hardness range “soft” – the lowest amount on the pack.
- Limescale deposits are rare; kettles and coffee machines only need descaling every few months.
- At this hardness you do not need limescale protection or a water softener.
Baby food and low sodium: tap water in Celle 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 Celle 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)
| Substance | Maximum level | Value in Celle |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium | 20 mg/l | 10.8 mg/l – not above |
| Nitrate | 10 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.5 mg/l) – not above |
| Nitrite | 0.02 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.05 mg/l) – cannot be assessed |
| Sulphate | 240 mg/l | 42.3 mg/l – not above |
| Fluoride | 0.7 mg/l | 0.1 mg/l – not above |
| Manganese | 0.05 mg/l | 0.017 mg/l – not above |
| Arsenic | 0.005 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.0002 mg/l) – not above |
| Uranium | 0.002 mg/l | not in the report |
Against the other thresholds of Annex 6, the water would qualify as: low in sodium (“suitable for a low-sodium diet”) (Sodium 10.8 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 Celle
Can you drink the tap water in Celle?
According to the verified values, yes: All tested parameters with a legal limit (14) meet the limits set by the German Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV). WaterScore: 98.1 out of 100 (data coverage: 5 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 Celle?
The total hardness is 6.55 °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 Celle?
The published analysis by Stadtwerke Celle 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 Celle?
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
- Total98.1 / 100
- Chemical safety100 / 100
- Heavy metals100 / 100
- Nutrients100 / 100
- General parameters93.7 / 100
- Data timeliness94.2 / 100
- Data quality100 / 100
Data coverage: 5 of 7 core parameters. Not in the test report: Uranium and 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
- Prüfbericht Wasserwerk Garßen, Reinwasser (Auftrag A25-00694, Probe-Nr. P25-2272) (Amt für Umwelt und ländlichen Raum – Umweltlabor (Landkreis Celle), im Auftrag der Stadtwerke Celle GmbH) · SHA-256 of the evaluated file: 12211859100bd63d…, checked on 3 October 2026
Suggested citation: Trinkwassermonitor (2025): Tap water in Celle. Values according to the water supplier’s test report, sampling date 7 July 2025; at the waterworks, not household plumbing. https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/celle/
JSON: /api/v1/evidence?city=celle
Data as of: 7 July 2025 · verified: 18 of 18 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 Celle. Retrieved from https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/celle/.”