Water hardness and tap water in Dessau-Roßlau

Name: Water hardness and tap water in Dessau-Roßlau
Creator: Trinkwassermonitor
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Dessau-Roßlau, Sachsen-Anhalt · Postcode 06842, 06844, 06846, 06847, 06849, 06861 …

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 Dessau-Roßlau has a total hardness of 22 °dH, hardness range “hard” (as of 4 February 2026). All tested parameters with a legal limit (15) meet the limits set by the German Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV). Source: test report by DessauWasser. WaterScore: 97.9 out of 100 (data coverage: 7 of 7 core parameters).

Limits of the Drinking Water OrdinancemetAll tested parameters (15), at the waterworks
Water hardness22 °dH, hardNo legal limit, only a range
Data coverageCore parameters: 7 of 7Score based on complete data

Verified drinking-water values

Parameter	Value	Limit (TrinkwV)	Sampling date	Source	Status
Nitrate	< 5 mg/L	50 mg/L	4 February 2026	Dessauer Wasser- und Abwasser GmbH (DVV Dessau)	verified
Nitrite	< 0.01 mg/L	0.5 mg/L	4 February 2026	Dessauer Wasser- und Abwasser GmbH (DVV Dessau)	verified
PFAS (sum)	< 0.1 µg/L	0.1 µg/L in force since 12 January 2026 from 12 January 2028: additionally PFAS-4 0.02 µg/L	4 February 2026	Dessauer Wasser- und Abwasser GmbH (DVV Dessau)	verified
Lead	< 0.001 mg/L	0.01 mg/L from 12 January 2028: 0.005 mg/L	4 February 2026	Dessauer Wasser- und Abwasser GmbH (DVV Dessau)	verified
Arsenic	< 0.0006 mg/L	0.01 mg/L new plants from 2028, all from 2036: 0.004 mg/L	4 February 2026	Dessauer Wasser- und Abwasser GmbH (DVV Dessau)	verified
Uranium	< 0.0005 mg/L	0.01 mg/L	4 February 2026	Dessauer Wasser- und Abwasser GmbH (DVV Dessau)	verified
Mercury	< 0.00002 mg/L	0.001 mg/L	4 February 2026	Dessauer Wasser- und Abwasser GmbH (DVV Dessau)	verified
Copper	< 0.06 mg/L	2 mg/L	4 February 2026	Dessauer Wasser- und Abwasser GmbH (DVV Dessau)	verified
Chloride	82 mg/L 33 % of the limit	250 mg/L	4 February 2026	Dessauer Wasser- und Abwasser GmbH (DVV Dessau)	verified
Sulphate	213 mg/L 85 % of the limit	250 mg/L	4 February 2026	Dessauer Wasser- und Abwasser GmbH (DVV Dessau)	verified
Sodium	45.2 mg/L 23 % of the limit	200 mg/L	4 February 2026	Dessauer Wasser- und Abwasser GmbH (DVV Dessau)	verified
Calcium	133 mg/L	–	4 February 2026	Dessauer Wasser- und Abwasser GmbH (DVV Dessau)	verified
Magnesium	13 mg/L	–	4 February 2026	Dessauer Wasser- und Abwasser GmbH (DVV Dessau)	verified
pH	8.03	6.5–9.5	4 February 2026	Dessauer Wasser- und Abwasser GmbH (DVV Dessau)	verified
Total hardness	22 °dH (hard)	no legal limit	4 February 2026	Dessauer Wasser- und Abwasser GmbH (DVV Dessau)	verified
Electrical conductivity	942 µS/cm	–	4 February 2026	Dessauer Wasser- und Abwasser GmbH (DVV Dessau)	verified
Fluoride	< 0.4 mg/L	1.5 mg/L	4 February 2026	Dessauer Wasser- und Abwasser GmbH (DVV Dessau)	verified
Iron	0.025 mg/L 13 % of the limit	0.2 mg/L	4 February 2026	Dessauer Wasser- und Abwasser GmbH (DVV Dessau)	verified
Manganese	< 0.005 mg/L	0.05 mg/L	4 February 2026	Dessauer Wasser- und Abwasser GmbH (DVV Dessau)	verified
Ammonium	< 0.05 mg/L	0.5 mg/L	4 February 2026	Dessauer Wasser- und Abwasser GmbH (DVV Dessau)	verified
Coliform bacteria	0 KBE/100ml	0 per 100 ml	4 February 2026	Dessauer Wasser- und Abwasser GmbH (DVV Dessau)	verified
Trihalomethanes (THM)	< 50 µg/L	50 µg/L	4 February 2026	Dessauer Wasser- und Abwasser GmbH (DVV Dessau)	verified

Note from the test report (in the German original): Diese Werte gelten für das Wasserwerk Ost, das Versorgungsgebiet Dessau (Kernstadt) im engeren Sinn. Die Stadt Dessau-Roßlau betreibt daneben die Wasserwerke Roßlau, Quellendorf und Lindau mit eigenen, teils deutlich abweichenden Analysen – z. B. Wasserwerk Roßlau (Probe vom selben Tag, 04.02.2026): Leitfähigkeit 618 µS/cm statt 942, Chlorid 28 mg/l statt 82, Sulfat 112 mg/l statt 213, Natrium 22,8 mg/l statt 45,2, pH-Wert 7,82 statt 8,03; Gesamthärte/Calcium/Magnesium waren im Roßlau-PDF nicht ausgefüllt (Leerfelder). Berichtsstand/Probenahme laut Dokument: 04.02.2026, Probenehmer war das Gesundheitsamt der Stadt Dessau-Roßlau. PFAS wird nur als Summenparameter ausgewiesen (Summe PFAS-20 <0,000100 mg/l und zusätzlich Summe PFAS-4 <0,000020 mg/l = <0,02 µg/l) – keine Einzelwerte für PFOA/PFOS/PFHxS/PFBS im Dokument enthalten, daher hier weggelassen. Coliforme Bakterien wurden als Grenzwertprüfung 'in 100 ml' gemeldet, ohne explizite Angabe KBE- vs. MPN-Methode.

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 Dessau-Roßlau, 65 % of buildings with living space were built before 1970, and a further 6 % 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 Dessau-Roßlau

PFAS (sum of PFAS-20) – not detectable in the sample evaluated. The limit of 0.1 µg/L (100 ng/L) has applied 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 8.03 – 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 Dessau-Roßlau in everyday life

At 22 °dH, Dessau-Roßlau 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 Dessau-Roßlau 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 Dessau-Roßlau 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”
Substance	Maximum level	Value in Dessau-Roßlau
Sodium	20 mg/l	45.2 mg/l – above
Nitrate	10 mg/l	below the detection limit (5 mg/l) – not above
Nitrite	0.02 mg/l	below the detection limit (0.01 mg/l) – not above
Sulphate	240 mg/l	213 mg/l – not above
Fluoride	0.7 mg/l	below the detection limit (0.4 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 (0.0006 mg/l) – not above
Uranium	0.002 mg/l	below the detection limit (0.0005 mg/l) – not above

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 Dessau-Roßlau

Can you drink the tap water in Dessau-Roßlau?

According to the verified values, yes: All tested parameters with a legal limit (15) meet the limits set by the German Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV). WaterScore: 97.9 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 Dessau-Roßlau?

The total hardness is 22 °dH – 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 Dessau-Roßlau?

Not in measurable amounts: according to the published analysis by DessauWasser (as of 4 February 2026), PFAS were below the laboratory’s limit of quantification. Since 12 January 2026, a limit of 0.1 µg/l has applied to the sum of PFAS-20.

Do I need to filter my tap water in Dessau-Roßlau?

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

Total97.9 / 100
Chemical safety100 / 100
Heavy metals100 / 100
PFAS100 / 100
Nutrients100 / 100
General parameters78.9 / 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 v3: how we calculate the WaterScore.

Evidence: cite and check

Trinkwasseranalyse Wasserwerk Ost (Dessauer Wasser- und Abwasser GmbH (DVV Dessau)) · SHA-256 of the evaluated file: beb6a04392fb171c…, checked on 3 October 2026

Suggested citation: Trinkwassermonitor (2026): Tap water in Dessau-Roßlau. Values according to the water supplier’s test report, sampling date 4 February 2026; at the waterworks, not household plumbing. https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/dessau-rosslau/

JSON: /api/v1/evidence?city=dessau-rosslau

Data as of: 4 February 2026 · verified: 22 of 22 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 Dessau-Roßlau. Retrieved from https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/dessau-rosslau/.”