Water hardness and tap water in Oberursel (Taunus)
Hochtaunuskreis, Hessen · Postcode 61440
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 (39), at the waterworks
- Water hardness3.72 °dH, softNo legal limit, only a range
- Data coverageCore parameters: 7 of 7Score based on complete data
Verified drinking-water values: water “Kernstadt, Oberstedten, Bommersheim”
Note from the test report (in the German original): Analyse 1 der Stadtwerke, Probe vom 20.05.2026 im Netz (Kindergarten Oberstedten), also kein Wert ab Werk. Dieses Wasser aus eigenen Quellen und Brunnen deckt laut Stadtwerken etwa 80 % des Bedarfs und versorgt Oberursel, Oberstedten, Bommersheim und höher gelegene Teile von Stierstadt. Es ist mit 3,72 °dH sehr weich. Weißkirchen und tiefer gelegene Teile von Stierstadt bekommen anderes, deutlich härteres Wasser, siehe das zweite Gebiet. Welche Werte für eine Adresse gelten, zeigt das Wasserhärte-Werkzeug der Stadtwerke.
Background on household plumbing, not a measurement: in Oberursel (Taunus), 49 % 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 Oberursel (Taunus)
- Nitrate 7.7 mg/L – about 15 % of the limit of 50 mg/L and in the unremarkable range. Boiling does not reduce nitrate.
- 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 0.066 µg/L – about 1 % of the limit of 10 µg/L, measured at the waterworks. Today’s limit is met; it will drop to 5 µg/L on 12 January 2028. Lead from household plumbing (old lead pipes) comes on top of this and is not covered by this value.
- Uranium – not detectable at the waterworks (limit 10 µg/L).
- pH 8.23 – 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 Oberursel (Taunus) in everyday life
At 3.72 °dH, Oberursel (Taunus) 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 Oberursel (Taunus) 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 Oberursel (Taunus) 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 Oberursel (Taunus) |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium | 20 mg/l | 5.77 mg/l – not above |
| Nitrate | 10 mg/l | 7.7 mg/l – not above |
| Nitrite | 0.02 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.03 mg/l) – cannot be assessed |
| Sulphate | 240 mg/l | 3.7 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 | 0.00011 mg/l – not above |
| Uranium | 0.002 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.00005 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 5.77 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 Oberursel (Taunus)
Can you drink the tap water in Oberursel (Taunus)?
According to the verified values, yes: All tested parameters with a legal limit (39) 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 Oberursel (Taunus)?
It depends on the address: Kernstadt, Oberstedten, Bommersheim 3.72 °dH and Weißkirchen und unteres Stierstadt 7.51 °dH – both in the hardness range “soft”. Dose detergent for the hardness range “soft” – the lowest amount on the pack.
Is there PFAS in the tap water in Oberursel (Taunus)?
Not in measurable amounts: according to the published analysis by Stadtwerke Oberursel (as of 20 May 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.
Do I need to filter my tap water in Oberursel (Taunus)?
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 v4: how we calculate the WaterScore.
Evidence: cite and check
- Analysenbericht 202604008, Oberursel-Oberstedten, Kindergarten, Probenahme 20.05.2026 (Stadtwerke Oberursel (Taunus) GmbH (Analyse: Hessenwasser Zentrallabor)) · SHA-256 of the evaluated file: c47632ad57446801…, checked on 1 November 2026
Suggested citation: Trinkwassermonitor (2026): Tap water in Oberursel (Taunus). Values according to the water supplier’s test report, sampling date 20 May 2026; at the waterworks, not household plumbing. https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/oberursel-taunus/
JSON: /api/v1/evidence?city=oberursel-taunus
Data as of: 20 May 2026 · verified: 25 of 25 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 Oberursel (Taunus). Retrieved from https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/oberursel-taunus/.”