Water hardness and tap water in Dresden
Dresden, Sachsen · Postcode 01067, 01069, 01097, 01099, 01109
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 (16), at the waterworks
- Water hardness5.6 °dH, softNo legal limit, only a range
- Data coverageCore parameters: 4 of 7Score based on complete data
Verified drinking-water values: water “Versorgungszone 1”
| Parameter | Value | Limit (TrinkwV) | Sampling date | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate | 11 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 2025 | SachsenEnergie AG | verified |
| Lead | < 0.001 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 2025 | SachsenEnergie AG | verified |
| Uranium | < 0.0001 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 2025 | SachsenEnergie AG | verified |
| Copper | < 0.001 mg/L | 2 mg/L | 2025 | SachsenEnergie AG | verified |
| Chloride | 13.8 mg/L | 250 mg/L | 2025 | SachsenEnergie AG | verified |
| Sulphate | 26.25 mg/L | 250 mg/L | 2025 | SachsenEnergie AG | verified |
| Calcium | 37.1 mg/L | – | 2025 | SachsenEnergie AG | verified |
| Magnesium | 2.74 mg/L | – | 2025 | SachsenEnergie AG | verified |
| pH | 8.14 | 6.5–9.5 | 2025 | SachsenEnergie AG | verified |
| Total hardness | 5.6 °dH (soft) | no legal limit | 2025 | SachsenEnergie AG | verified |
| Electrical conductivity | 243 µS/cm | – | 2025 | SachsenEnergie AG | verified |
| Fluoride | < 0.15 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L | 2025 | SachsenEnergie AG | verified |
Note from the test report (in the German original): SachsenEnergie AG (vormals DREWAG) · Medianwerte Jan.–Dez. 2025, Wasserwerk Coschütz (weichstes der drei Werke). Diese Werte gelten für Versorgungszone 1 (Trinkwasser nur aus dem Wasserwerk Coschütz). Die Zonen 2 und 4, darunter die Innere Altstadt und die Neustadt, erhalten laut SachsenEnergie Mischwasser aus mehreren Werken; für die Mischung veröffentlicht SachsenEnergie keine eigenen Werte. Zone 3 (Hosterwitz & Pillnitz) steht als eigene Zone. Gesamthärte hier berechnet aus den im Original getrennt ausgewiesenen Karbonat- und Nichtkarbonathärte-Anteilen (3,7 + 1,9 °dH). PFAS wird in diesem Dokument nicht als eigener Parameter geführt (nur Bisphenol A <50 ng/l).
Background on household plumbing, not a measurement: in Dresden, 58 % of buildings with living space were built before 1970, and a further 5 % 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 Dresden
- Nitrate 11 mg/L – about 22 % of the limit of 50 mg/L and in the medium range – such values occur in catchments shaped by agriculture. Boiling does not reduce nitrate.
- 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 8.14 – 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 Dresden in everyday life
At 5.6 °dH, Dresden 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 Dresden 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 Dresden 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 Dresden |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium | 20 mg/l | not in the report |
| Nitrate | 10 mg/l | 11 mg/l – above |
| Nitrite | 0.02 mg/l | not in the report |
| Sulphate | 240 mg/l | 26.25 mg/l – not above |
| Fluoride | 0.7 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.15 mg/l) – not above |
| Manganese | 0.05 mg/l | not in the report |
| Arsenic | 0.005 mg/l | not in the report |
| Uranium | 0.002 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.0001 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 Dresden
Can you drink the tap water in Dresden?
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: 100 out of 100 (data coverage: 4 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 Dresden?
It depends on the address: Versorgungszone 1 5.6 °dH and Versorgungszone 3 9.1 °dH. The waters are in different hardness ranges (“soft” and “medium”); detergent and descaler should follow the water at your address.
Is there PFAS in the tap water in Dresden?
The published analysis by SachsenEnergie (Wasserwerke Dresden) 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 Dresden?
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
- Nutrients100 / 100
- General parameters100 / 100
- Data timeliness100 / 100
- Data quality100 / 100
Data coverage: 4 of 7 core parameters. Not in the test report: Nitrite, Arsenic 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
- Medianwerte Reinwasser der Wasserwerke Coschütz, Hosterwitz und Tolkewitz, Januar bis Dezember 2025 (Stand 25.02.2026) (SachsenEnergie AG) · SHA-256 of the evaluated file: 49c63bf906f54f23…, checked on 3 October 2026
Suggested citation: Trinkwassermonitor (2025): Tap water in Dresden. Values according to the water supplier’s test report, sampling date 2025; at the waterworks, not household plumbing. https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/dresden/
JSON: /api/v1/evidence?city=dresden
Data as of: 2025 · verified: 12 of 12 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 Dresden. Retrieved from https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/dresden/.”