Water hardness and tap water in Ingolstadt

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

Ingolstadt, Bayern · Postcode 85049, 85051, 85053, 85055, 85057

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 Ingolstadt has a total hardness of 20.8 °dH, hardness range “hard” (as of 1 June 2026). All tested parameters with a legal limit (14) meet the limits set by the German Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV). Source: test report by Ingolstädter Kommunalbetriebe (INKB). WaterScore: 100 out of 100 (data coverage: 5 of 7 core parameters).

Limits of the Drinking Water OrdinancemetAll tested parameters (14), at the waterworks
Water hardness20.8 °dH, hardNo legal limit, only a range
Data coverageCore parameters: 5 of 7Score based on complete data

Verified drinking-water values

Parameter	Value	Limit (TrinkwV)	Sampling date	Source	Status
Nitrate	< 0.5 mg/L	50 mg/L	1 June 2026	Ingolstädter Kommunalbetriebe AöR (INKB)	verified
PFAS (sum)	< 0.001 µg/L	0.1 µg/L in force since 12 January 2026 from 12 January 2028: additionally PFAS-4 0.02 µg/L	1 June 2026	Ingolstädter Kommunalbetriebe AöR (INKB)	verified
Lead	< 0.001 mg/L	0.01 mg/L from 12 January 2028: 0.005 mg/L	1 June 2026	Ingolstädter Kommunalbetriebe AöR (INKB)	verified
Uranium	< 0.001 mg/L	0.01 mg/L	1 June 2026	Ingolstädter Kommunalbetriebe AöR (INKB)	verified
Copper	< 0.002 mg/L	2 mg/L	1 June 2026	Ingolstädter Kommunalbetriebe AöR (INKB)	verified
Chloride	11 mg/L	250 mg/L	1 June 2026	Ingolstädter Kommunalbetriebe AöR (INKB)	verified
Sulphate	42 mg/L 17 % of the limit	250 mg/L	1 June 2026	Ingolstädter Kommunalbetriebe AöR (INKB)	verified
Sodium	3.4 mg/L	200 mg/L	1 June 2026	Ingolstädter Kommunalbetriebe AöR (INKB)	verified
Calcium	89 mg/L	–	1 June 2026	Ingolstädter Kommunalbetriebe AöR (INKB)	verified
Magnesium	36 mg/L	–	1 June 2026	Ingolstädter Kommunalbetriebe AöR (INKB)	verified
pH	7.45	6.5–9.5	1 June 2026	Ingolstädter Kommunalbetriebe AöR (INKB)	verified
Total hardness	20.8 °dH (hard)	no legal limit	1 June 2026	Ingolstädter Kommunalbetriebe AöR (INKB)	verified
Electrical conductivity	674.5 µS/cm	–	1 June 2026	Ingolstädter Kommunalbetriebe AöR (INKB)	verified
Fluoride	0.11 mg/L	1.5 mg/L	1 June 2026	Ingolstädter Kommunalbetriebe AöR (INKB)	verified
Iron	< 0.005 mg/L	0.2 mg/L	1 June 2026	Ingolstädter Kommunalbetriebe AöR (INKB)	verified
Manganese	< 0.002 mg/L	0.05 mg/L	1 June 2026	Ingolstädter Kommunalbetriebe AöR (INKB)	verified
Ammonium	< 0.05 mg/L	0.5 mg/L	1 June 2026	Ingolstädter Kommunalbetriebe AöR (INKB)	verified
Coliform bacteria	0 KBE/100ml	0 per 100 ml	1 June 2026	Ingolstädter Kommunalbetriebe AöR (INKB)	verified
Trihalomethanes (THM)	< 0.5 µg/L	50 µg/L	1 June 2026	Ingolstädter Kommunalbetriebe AöR (INKB)	verified

Note from the test report (in the German original): Ingolstädter Kommunalbetriebe AöR (INKB) · Prüfbericht (Auftrag 26-2266), Probenahme 01.06.2026, Prüfzeitraum bis 25.06.2026, Hochbehälter Hallerschlag. Für die Trinkwasserqualität und -analytik ist INKB zuständig, nicht die SWI Netze GmbH (diese betreut nur die Hausanschlüsse). Der Bericht umfasst zusätzlich ein Screening auf rund 90 Pflanzenschutzmittel (fast alle unterhalb der Bestimmungsgrenze) sowie weitere Summenparameter wie Hydrogenkarbonat (391,62 mg/l).

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 Ingolstadt, 31 % 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 Ingolstadt

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 7.45 – 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 Ingolstadt in everyday life

At 20.8 °dH, Ingolstadt 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 Ingolstadt 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 Ingolstadt 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 Ingolstadt
Sodium	20 mg/l	3.4 mg/l – not above
Nitrate	10 mg/l	below the detection limit (0.5 mg/l) – not above
Nitrite	0.02 mg/l	not in the report
Sulphate	240 mg/l	42 mg/l – not above
Fluoride	0.7 mg/l	0.11 mg/l – not above
Manganese	0.05 mg/l	below the detection limit (0.002 mg/l) – not above
Arsenic	0.005 mg/l	not in the report
Uranium	0.002 mg/l	below the detection limit (0.001 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 3.4 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 Ingolstadt

Can you drink the tap water in Ingolstadt?

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: 100 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 Ingolstadt?

The total hardness is 20.8 °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 Ingolstadt?

Not in measurable amounts: according to the published analysis by Ingolstädter Kommunalbetriebe (INKB) (as of 1 June 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. This means the sum of the four substances PFOA, PFOS, PFNA and PFHxS (PFAS-4) is also below the limit of 0.02 µg/l, which applies from 12 January 2028.

Do I need to filter my tap water in Ingolstadt?

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: 5 of 7 core parameters. Not in the test report: Nitrite and Arsenic. 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

Trinkwasseruntersuchung Ingolstadt, Hochbehälter Hallerschlag, Probenahme 01.06.2026 (Ingolstädter Kommunalbetriebe AöR (INKB)) · SHA-256 of the evaluated file: 13bef11dcb501129…, checked on 3 October 2026

Suggested citation: Trinkwassermonitor (2026): Tap water in Ingolstadt. Values according to the water supplier’s test report, sampling date 1 June 2026; at the waterworks, not household plumbing. https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/ingolstadt/

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

Data as of: 1 June 2026 · verified: 19 of 19 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 Ingolstadt. Retrieved from https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/ingolstadt/.”