Water hardness and tap water in Mönchengladbach

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

Mönchengladbach, Nordrhein-Westfalen · Postcode 41061, 41065, 41069, 41236, 41238

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 Mönchengladbach has a total hardness of 13.9 °dH, hardness range “medium” (as of 20 January 2026). All tested parameters with a legal limit (16) meet the limits set by the German Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV). Source: test report by NEW NiederrheinWasser. WaterScore: 100 out of 100 (data coverage: 7 of 7 core parameters).

Limits of the Drinking Water OrdinancemetAll tested parameters (16), at the waterworks
Water hardness13.9 °dH, mediumNo legal limit, only a range
Data coverageCore parameters: 7 of 7Score based on complete data

Verified drinking-water values

Parameter	Value	Limit (TrinkwV)	Sampling date	Source	Status
Nitrate	18.4 mg/L 37 % of the limit	50 mg/L	20 January 2026	NEW NiederrheinWasser GmbH	verified
Nitrite	< 0.01 mg/L	0.5 mg/L	20 January 2026	NEW NiederrheinWasser GmbH	verified
PFAS (sum)	0.018 µg/L 18 % of the limit	0.1 µg/L in force since 12 January 2026 from 12 January 2028: additionally PFAS-4 0.02 µg/L	20 January 2026	NEW NiederrheinWasser GmbH	verified
Lead	< 0.001 mg/L	0.01 mg/L from 12 January 2028: 0.005 mg/L	20 January 2026	NEW NiederrheinWasser GmbH	verified
Arsenic	< 0.001 mg/L	0.01 mg/L new plants from 2028, all from 2036: 0.004 mg/L	20 January 2026	NEW NiederrheinWasser GmbH	verified
Uranium	< 0.0001 mg/L	0.01 mg/L	20 January 2026	NEW NiederrheinWasser GmbH	verified
Mercury	< 0.0001 mg/L	0.001 mg/L	20 January 2026	NEW NiederrheinWasser GmbH	verified
Copper	< 0.01 mg/L	2 mg/L	20 January 2026	NEW NiederrheinWasser GmbH	verified
Chloride	56.6 mg/L 23 % of the limit	250 mg/L	20 January 2026	NEW NiederrheinWasser GmbH	verified
Sulphate	94.3 mg/L 38 % of the limit	250 mg/L	20 January 2026	NEW NiederrheinWasser GmbH	verified
Sodium	32.7 mg/L 16 % of the limit	200 mg/L	20 January 2026	NEW NiederrheinWasser GmbH	verified
Calcium	77.9 mg/L	–	20 January 2026	NEW NiederrheinWasser GmbH	verified
Magnesium	12.8 mg/L	–	20 January 2026	NEW NiederrheinWasser GmbH	verified
pH	7.97	6.5–9.5	20 January 2026	NEW NiederrheinWasser GmbH	verified
Total hardness	13.9 °dH (medium)	no legal limit	20 January 2026	NEW NiederrheinWasser GmbH	verified
Fluoride	< 0.1 mg/L	1.5 mg/L	20 January 2026	NEW NiederrheinWasser GmbH	verified
Iron	< 0.01 mg/L	0.2 mg/L	20 January 2026	NEW NiederrheinWasser GmbH	verified
Manganese	< 0.001 mg/L	0.05 mg/L	20 January 2026	NEW NiederrheinWasser GmbH	verified
Ammonium	< 0.05 mg/L	0.5 mg/L	20 January 2026	NEW NiederrheinWasser GmbH	verified

Note from the test report (in the German original): Werte des Wasserwerks Helenabrunn vom 20.01.2026 (Reinwasser am Werk) aus der NEW-Trinkwasseranalyse. Mönchengladbach wird aus mehreren Wasserwerken in zwei Härtebereichen versorgt. Laut Adressabfrage bei NEW versorgt Helenabrunn (13,9 °dH, mittel) u. a. den Bereich um den Hauptbahnhof, Eicken, Neuwerk, Lürrip und Hardterbroich; Reststrauch (14,9 °dH, hart) u. a. Rheydt, Odenkirchen, Holt, Hehn und Geistenbeck; Gatzweiler (12,2 °dH, mittel) u. a. Windberg, Hardt und Rheindahlen; Rasseln (12,1 °dH, mittel) die Altstadt und Venn; Hoppbruch (12,9 °dH, mittel) u. a. Giesenkirchen, Pesch und Mülfort. Welches Werk Ihre Adresse versorgt, zeigt die NEW-Trinkwasseranalyse nach Adresseingabe. Leitfähigkeit und mikrobiologische Werte sind dort nur mit Stand 2024 veröffentlicht und hier nicht aufgeführt.

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 Mönchengladbach, 54 % 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 Mönchengladbach

Nitrate 18.4 mg/L – about 37 % 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) 18 ng/L – about 18 % 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 7.97 – 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 Mönchengladbach in everyday life

At 13.9 °dH, Mönchengladbach is in the hardness range “medium” (soft: below 8.4 °dH, medium: 8.4–14 °dH, hard: above 14 °dH).

Dose detergent for the hardness range “medium”.
As a rule of thumb, descale the kettle about every four to six weeks and the coffee machine as the manufacturer recommends.
A limescale protection device is not a must at medium hardness; regular descaling is often enough.

Baby food and low sodium: tap water in Mönchengladbach 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 Mönchengladbach 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 Mönchengladbach
Sodium	20 mg/l	32.7 mg/l – above
Nitrate	10 mg/l	18.4 mg/l – above
Nitrite	0.02 mg/l	below the detection limit (0.01 mg/l) – not above
Sulphate	240 mg/l	94.3 mg/l – not above
Fluoride	0.7 mg/l	below the detection limit (0.1 mg/l) – not above
Manganese	0.05 mg/l	below the detection limit (0.001 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 (0.0001 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 Mönchengladbach

Can you drink the tap water in Mönchengladbach?

According to the verified values, yes: All tested parameters with a legal limit (16) 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 Mönchengladbach?

The total hardness is 13.9 °dH – hardness range “medium”. Dose detergent for the hardness range “medium”.

Is there PFAS in the tap water in Mönchengladbach?

Yes, in measurable amounts: according to the published analysis by NEW NiederrheinWasser (as of 20 January 2026), the sum of PFAS-20 is 0.018 µg/l – that is 18 % of the limit of 0.1 µg/l, which has applied since 12 January 2026. Even this sum of all 20 substances is below the limit of 0.02 µg/l that applies from 12 January 2028 to the sum of four of them (PFAS-4).

Do I need to filter my tap water in Mönchengladbach?

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

NEW Trinkwasseranalyse – Wasserwerk Helenabrunn 001 (Reinwasser), Wasserwerte vom 20.01.2026 (NEW NiederrheinWasser GmbH)

Suggested citation: Trinkwassermonitor (2026): Tap water in Mönchengladbach. Values according to the water supplier’s test report, sampling date 20 January 2026; at the waterworks, not household plumbing. https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/moenchengladbach/

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

Data as of: 20 January 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 Mönchengladbach. Retrieved from https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/moenchengladbach/.”