TrinkwassermonitorTap water in Germany

Water hardness and tap water in Menden (Sauerland)

Märkischer Kreis, Nordrhein-Westfalen · Postcode 58706, 58708, 58710

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 Menden (Sauerland) has a total hardness of 8.3 °dH, hardness range “soft” (as of 2025). All tested parameters with a legal limit (8) meet the limits set by the German Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV). Source: test report by Stadtwerke Menden. WaterScore (provisional): 100 out of 100 – the test report contains only 3 of 7 core parameters.

Verified drinking-water values

ParameterValueLimit (TrinkwV)Sampling dateSourceStatus
Nitrate11 mg/L
50 mg/L2025Stadtwerke Mendenverified
Nitritebelow the limit of quantification0.5 mg/L2025Stadtwerke Mendenverified
PFAS (sum)0.0113 µg/L
0.1 µg/L

2025Stadtwerke Mendenverified
Chromium0.0005 mg/L0.025 mg/L
2025Stadtwerke Mendenverified
Chloride30 mg/L
250 mg/L2025Stadtwerke Mendenverified
Sulphate35 mg/L
250 mg/L2025Stadtwerke Mendenverified
Sodium17.5 mg/L200 mg/L2025Stadtwerke Mendenverified
Calcium48.4 mg/L–2025Stadtwerke Mendenverified
Magnesium6.5 mg/L–2025Stadtwerke Mendenverified
pH7.896.5–9.52025Stadtwerke Mendenverified
Total hardness8.3 °dH (soft)no legal limit2025Stadtwerke Mendenverified
Electrical conductivity396 µS/cm–2025Stadtwerke Mendenverified
Fluoride0.07 mg/L1.5 mg/L2025Stadtwerke Mendenverified
Ironbelow the limit of quantification0.2 mg/L2025Stadtwerke Mendenverified
Manganesebelow the limit of quantification0.05 mg/L2025Stadtwerke Mendenverified
Ammoniumbelow the limit of quantification0.5 mg/L2025Stadtwerke Mendenverified

Note from the test report (in the German original): Stadtwerke Menden · Analyse 2025 für das Trinkwasser aus dem Wasserwerk Ruhrtal, Jahresmittelwerte 2025, veröffentlicht auf der Website des Versorgers; es ist nur das Jahr angegeben. Diese Werte gelten laut Stadtwerken Menden das ganze Versorgungsgebiet außer dem Ortsteil Halingen; Halingen wird laut Stadtwerken von der Gelsenwasser AG versorgt. „n.n.“ (nicht nachweisbar) steht ohne Nachweisgrenze im Bericht. Die Werte gelten ab Wasserwerk.

Is a value wrong or out of date?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 Menden (Sauerland), 52 % of buildings with living space were built before 1970, and a further 15 % 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 Menden (Sauerland)

Water hardness in Menden (Sauerland) in everyday life

At 8.3 °dH, Menden (Sauerland) is in the hardness range “soft” (soft: below 8.4 °dH, medium: 8.4–14 °dH, hard: above 14 °dH).

Baby food and low sodium: tap water in Menden (Sauerland) 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 Menden (Sauerland) 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”
SubstanceMaximum levelValue in Menden (Sauerland)
Sodium20 mg/l17.5 mg/l – not above
Nitrate10 mg/l11 mg/l – above
Nitrite0.02 mg/lbelow the limit of quantification – cannot be assessed
Sulphate240 mg/l35 mg/l – not above
Fluoride0.7 mg/l0.07 mg/l – not above
Manganese0.05 mg/lbelow the limit of quantification – cannot be assessed
Arsenic0.005 mg/lnot in the report
Uranium0.002 mg/lnot in the report

Against the other thresholds of Annex 6, the water would qualify as: low in sodium (“suitable for a low-sodium diet”) (Sodium 17.5 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 Menden (Sauerland)

Can you drink the tap water in Menden (Sauerland)?

According to the verified values, yes: All tested parameters with a legal limit (8) meet the limits set by the German Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV). WaterScore (provisional): 100 out of 100 – the test report contains only 3 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 Menden (Sauerland)?

The total hardness is 8.3 °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 Menden (Sauerland)?

Yes, in measurable amounts: according to the published analysis by Stadtwerke Menden (as of 2025), the sum of PFAS-20 is 0.0113 (middle of the range given by the supplier) µg/l – that is 11 % of the limit of 0.1 µg/l, which has applied since 12 January 2026.

Do I need to filter my tap water in Menden (Sauerland)?

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

Data coverage: 3 of 7 core parameters. Not in the test report: Lead, Copper, Arsenic and Uranium. Missing parameters are neither estimated nor counted as harmless: the score is based only on the values available and is therefore provisional. 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

Suggested citation: Trinkwassermonitor (2025): Tap water in Menden (Sauerland). Values according to the water supplier’s test report, sampling date 2025; at the waterworks, not household plumbing. https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/menden-sauerland/

JSON: /api/v1/evidence?city=menden-sauerland

Data as of: 2025 · verified: 16 of 16 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 Menden (Sauerland). Retrieved from https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/menden-sauerland/.”

Further information