Water hardness and tap water in Herne
Herne, Nordrhein-Westfalen · Postcode 44623, 44625, 44627, 44628, 44629, 44649 …
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 (17), at the waterworks
- Water hardness7.3 °dH, softNo legal limit, only a range
- Data coverageCore parameters: 7 of 7Score based on complete data
Verified drinking-water values
Note from the test report (in the German original): Herne wird durch die Wasserversorgung Herne GmbH & Co. KG (WVH) versorgt, ein 1961 gegründetes Gemeinschaftsunternehmen von Stadtwerke Herne AG und GELSENWASSER AG (technischer Betrieb durch Gelsenwasser, kaufmännische Verwaltung durch Stadtwerke Herne). Der Großteil des Stadtgebiets wird aus dem Wasserwerk Witten (weicheres Wasser) versorgt; die östlichen/südöstlichen Stadtteile Crange, Unser Fritz, Wanne, Bickern, Baukau, Horsthausen, Holsterhausen, Eickel und Röhlinghausen erhalten stattdessen Wasser aus dem Wasserwerk Haltern (mittlere Härte, siehe Gelsenkirchen-Eintrag). Die Werte sind Jahresmittelwerte 2025 aus der offiziellen Analyse des Wasserwerks Witten; ein genaues Berichtsdatum nennt das Dokument nicht. Der Bericht enthält keine PFAS-Werte; diese stammen aus der Online-Trinkwasseranalyse von Gelsenwasser (Jahres-Mittel 2025, eigene Quelle). PFAS-Werte des Wasserwerks Witten aus der Online-Trinkwasseranalyse von Gelsenwasser: Jahres-Mittel 2025 aus 4 Proben. Summe PFAS-4: 0,0051 µg/l (Grenzwert ab 12.01.2028: 0,020 µg/l). Das gilt für das Stadtgebiet außer Crange, Unser-Fritz, Wanne, Bickern, Baukau, Horsthausen, Holsterhausen, Eickel und Röhlinghausen, die aus dem Wasserwerk Haltern versorgt werden (dort Summe PFAS-20: 0,0183 µg/l).
Background on household plumbing, not a measurement: in Herne, 70 % of buildings with living space were built before 1970, and a further 9 % 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 Herne
- Nitrate 10.7 mg/L – about 21 % 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.
- PFAS (sum of PFAS-20) 28.3 ng/L – about 28 % 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 7.92 – 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 Herne in everyday life
At 7.3 °dH, Herne 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 Herne 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 Herne 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 Herne |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium | 20 mg/l | 24 mg/l – above |
| Nitrate | 10 mg/l | 10.7 mg/l – above |
| Nitrite | 0.02 mg/l | 0.01 mg/l – not above |
| Sulphate | 240 mg/l | 35 mg/l – not above |
| Fluoride | 0.7 mg/l | 0.09 mg/l – not above |
| Manganese | 0.05 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.002 mg/l) – not above |
| Arsenic | 0.005 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.0005 mg/l) – not above |
| Uranium | 0.002 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.001 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 Herne
Can you drink the tap water in Herne?
According to the verified values, yes: All tested parameters with a legal limit (17) 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 Herne?
The total hardness is 7.3 °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 Herne?
Yes, in measurable amounts: according to the published analysis by Wasserversorgung Herne (WVH) (as of 2025), the sum of PFAS-20 is 0.0283 (middle of the range given by the supplier) µg/l – that is 28 % of the limit of 0.1 µg/l, which has applied since 12 January 2026.
Do I need to filter my tap water in Herne?
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 v3: how we calculate the WaterScore.
Evidence: cite and check
- Analyse 2025 für das Trinkwasser aus dem Wasserwerk Witten (Wasserversorgung Herne GmbH & Co. KG / Stadtwerke Herne AG) · SHA-256 of the evaluated file: 0fe8148d9621bc43…, checked on 3 October 2026
- Trinkwasseranalyse Gelsenwasser – Wasserwerk Witten, PFAS (Jahres-Mittel 2025) (GELSENWASSER AG (Trinkwasseranalyse auf gelsenwasser.de))
Suggested citation: Trinkwassermonitor (2025): Tap water in Herne. Values according to the water supplier’s test report, sampling date 2025; at the waterworks, not household plumbing. https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/herne/
JSON: /api/v1/evidence?city=herne
Data as of: 2025 · verified: 26 of 26 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 Herne. Retrieved from https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/herne/.”