Water hardness and tap water in Maxhütte-Haidhof
Landkreis Schwandorf, Bayern · Postcode 93142
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 hardness19.7 °dH, hardNo 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): Stadtwerke Maxhütte-Haidhof · Prüfbericht des Labors Dr. Feierabend zur Probenahme am 29.10.2025 am Hochbehälter Eichlberg (Mischwasser der Brunnen Hagenau, Rappenbügl und Hoferlberg, Abgabe ins Netz), im BDEW-Wasserportal veröffentlicht. Laut Wasserportal versorgen die Stadtwerke aus diesen drei Gewinnungsgebieten die ganze Stadt (ein Versorgungsgebiet, 12.422 Personen). Mikrobiologische Werte und PFAS enthält dieser Bericht nicht.
Background on household plumbing, not a measurement: in Maxhütte-Haidhof, 40 % of buildings with living space were built before 1970, and a further 10 % 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 Maxhütte-Haidhof
- Nitrate 28.2 mg/L – about 56 % of the limit of 50 mg/L and comparatively high for a city waterworks; the cause is usually nitrate from agriculture entering the raw water. 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 7.27 – 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 Maxhütte-Haidhof in everyday life
At 19.7 °dH, Maxhütte-Haidhof 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 Maxhütte-Haidhof 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 Maxhütte-Haidhof 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 Maxhütte-Haidhof |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium | 20 mg/l | 10.9 mg/l – not above |
| Nitrate | 10 mg/l | 28.2 mg/l – above |
| Nitrite | 0.02 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.05 mg/l) – cannot be assessed |
| Sulphate | 240 mg/l | 68 mg/l – not above |
| Fluoride | 0.7 mg/l | 0.12 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 (0.001 mg/l) – not above |
| 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 10.9 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 Maxhütte-Haidhof
Can you drink the tap water in Maxhütte-Haidhof?
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: 99.2 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 Maxhütte-Haidhof?
The total hardness is 19.7 °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 Maxhütte-Haidhof?
The published analysis by Stadtwerke Maxhütte-Haidhof 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 Maxhütte-Haidhof?
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.
Is the nitrate level in Maxhütte-Haidhof a concern?
The value of 28.2 mg/L is below the limit of 50 mg/L, but higher than in many other evaluated cities. The limit of the Drinking Water Ordinance also applies to preparing baby food; mineral water labelled “suitable for preparing infant food” („geeignet für die Zubereitung von Säuglingsnahrung“) may contain at most 10 mg/L nitrate. Boiling does not help against nitrate.
WaterScore
- Total99.2 / 100
- Chemical safety96.3 / 100
- Heavy metals100 / 100
- Nutrients95.9 / 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 v3: how we calculate the WaterScore.
Evidence: cite and check
- Prüfbericht Analysennummer 2510-55147, Hochbehälter Eichlberg (Rein-Mischwasser der Brunnen Hagenau, Rappenbügl und Hoferlberg), Probenahme 29.10.2025 (Stadtwerke Maxhütte-Haidhof (Prüfbericht Labor Dr. Feierabend GmbH; veröffentlicht im BDEW-Wasserportal))
Suggested citation: Trinkwassermonitor (2025): Tap water in Maxhütte-Haidhof. Values according to the water supplier’s test report, sampling date 29 October 2025; at the waterworks, not household plumbing. https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/maxhuette-haidhof/
JSON: /api/v1/evidence?city=maxhuette-haidhof
Data as of: 29 October 2025 · 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 Maxhütte-Haidhof. Retrieved from https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/maxhuette-haidhof/.”