Water hardness and tap water in Kulmbach
Landkreis Kulmbach, Bayern · Postcode 95311, 95326
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 (18), at the waterworks
- Water hardness8.1 °dH, softNo legal limit, only a range
- Data coverageCore parameters: 6 of 7Score based on complete data
Verified drinking-water values
Note from the test report (in the German original): Prüfbericht zur Probe vom 29.06.2026 an der Trinkwasseraufbereitung Kulmbach, also ab Werk. Das Wasser war zu 37,5 % Brunnenwasser und zu 62,5 % Wasser aus der Grundmühle, bei anderem Verhältnis ändern sich die Werte. Uran liegt mit 9,0 µg/l knapp unter dem Grenzwert von 10 µg/l. Die Werte gelten für das Stadtgebiet; Teile wie die Obere und Untere Buchgasse bekommen laut Stadtwerken anderes Wasser. PFAS nennt der Bericht nicht.
Background on household plumbing, not a measurement: in Kulmbach, 51 % of buildings with living space were built before 1970, and a further 16 % 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 Kulmbach
- Nitrate 9.9 mg/L – about 20 % 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 9 µg/L – within the checked range against a limit of 10 µg/L. In some regions uranium occurs naturally from the rock (geogenic).
- pH 8 – 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 Kulmbach in everyday life
At 8.1 °dH, Kulmbach 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 Kulmbach 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 Kulmbach 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)
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.
| Substance | Maximum level | Value in Kulmbach |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium | 20 mg/l | 10.9 mg/l – not above |
| Nitrate | 10 mg/l | 9.9 mg/l – not above |
| Nitrite | 0.02 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.01 mg/l) – not above |
| Sulphate | 240 mg/l | 27 mg/l – not above |
| Fluoride | 0.7 mg/l | 0.086 mg/l – not above |
| Manganese | 0.05 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.005 mg/l) – not above |
| Arsenic | 0.005 mg/l | 0.003 mg/l – not above |
| Uranium | 0.002 mg/l | 0.009 mg/l – above the bottled-water threshold |
Against the other thresholds of Annex 6, the water would qualify as: low in sodium (“suitable for a low-sodium diet”) (Sodium 10.9 mg/l, threshold below 20 mg/l).
Questions about baby food are answered by your midwife, your paediatrician and the health office (Gesundheitsamt).
Frequently asked questions about tap water in Kulmbach
Can you drink the tap water in Kulmbach?
According to the verified values, yes: All tested parameters with a legal limit (18) meet the limits set by the German Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV). WaterScore: 94.1 out of 100 (data coverage: 6 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 Kulmbach?
The total hardness is 8.1 °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 Kulmbach?
The published analysis by Stadtwerke Kulmbach 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 Kulmbach?
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
- Total94.1 / 100
- Chemical safety76.7 / 100
- Heavy metals76.4 / 100
- Nutrients100 / 100
- General parameters100 / 100
- Data timeliness100 / 100
- Data quality100 / 100
Data coverage: 6 of 7 core parameters. Not in the test report: 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 v4: how we calculate the WaterScore.
Evidence: cite and check
- Prüfbericht 2606569-7, Trinkwasseraufbereitung Kulmbach, Probenahme 29.06.2026 (Stadtwerke Kulmbach (Analyse: analab Taubmann GmbH)) · SHA-256 of the evaluated file: 34cd1207d3183c33…, checked on 1 November 2026
Suggested citation: Trinkwassermonitor (2026): Tap water in Kulmbach. Values according to the water supplier’s test report, sampling date 29 June 2026; at the waterworks, not household plumbing. https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/kulmbach/
JSON: /api/v1/evidence?city=kulmbach
Data as of: 29 June 2026 · verified: 23 of 23 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 Kulmbach. Retrieved from https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/kulmbach/.”