Water hardness and tap water in Offenbach an der Queich
Landkreis Südliche Weinstraße, Rheinland-Pfalz · Postcode 76877
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 (19), at the waterworks
- Water hardness9.3 °dH, mediumNo legal limit, only a range
- Data coverageCore parameters: 7 of 7Score based on complete data
Verified drinking-water values
Note from the test report (in the German original): Gruppenwasserwerke Bornheim · Trinkwasseranalyse für das Versorgungsgebiet Offenbach an der Queich, Stand 09.09.2025, veröffentlicht im BDEW-Wasserportal. Die Werte wurden automatisch aus dem PDF ausgelesen und einzeln gegengeprüft; die Seite steht beim Originalwert. Laut Wasserportal liegen der Ortsmittelpunkt von Offenbach an der Queich und vier Prüfpunkte rund 1,5 km darum in diesem Versorgungsgebiet. Welches Wasser an einer bestimmten Adresse ankommt, sagt verbindlich der Versorger. Die Werte gelten ab Wasserwerk.
Background on household plumbing, not a measurement: in Offenbach an der Queich, 31 % 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 Offenbach an der Queich
- Nitrate 4.9 mg/L – about 10 % 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 – 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).
Water hardness in Offenbach an der Queich in everyday life
At 9.3 °dH, Offenbach an der Queich 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 Offenbach an der Queich 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 Offenbach an der Queich 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 Offenbach an der Queich |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium | 20 mg/l | 5.6 mg/l – not above |
| Nitrate | 10 mg/l | 4.9 mg/l – not above |
| Nitrite | 0.02 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.005 mg/l) – not above |
| Sulphate | 240 mg/l | 17 mg/l – not above |
| Fluoride | 0.7 mg/l | 0.16 mg/l – not above |
| Manganese | 0.05 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.005 mg/l) – not above |
| Arsenic | 0.005 mg/l | 0.0008 mg/l – not above |
| Uranium | 0.002 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.0005 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 5.6 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 Offenbach an der Queich
Can you drink the tap water in Offenbach an der Queich?
According to the verified values, yes: All tested parameters with a legal limit (19) meet the limits set by the German Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV). WaterScore: 99.7 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 Offenbach an der Queich?
The total hardness is 9.3 °dH – hardness range “medium”. Dose detergent for the hardness range “medium”.
Is there PFAS in the tap water in Offenbach an der Queich?
Not in measurable amounts: according to the published analysis by Gruppenwasserwerke Bornheim (as of 9 September 2025), 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. This means the sum of the four substances PFOA, PFOS, PFNA and PFHxS (PFAS-4) is also below the limit of 0.02 µg/l, which applies from 12 January 2028.
Do I need to filter my tap water in Offenbach an der Queich?
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
- Total99.7 / 100
- Chemical safety100 / 100
- Heavy metals100 / 100
- PFAS100 / 100
- Nutrients100 / 100
- General parameters100 / 100
- Data timeliness97.7 / 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
- Trinkwasseranalyse Versorgungsgebiet Offenbach an der Queich, Stand 09.09.2025 (Gruppenwasserwerke Bornheim (veröffentlicht im BDEW-Wasserportal)) · SHA-256 of the evaluated file: 0285b8ed54cbff39…, checked on 11 October 2026
Suggested citation: Trinkwassermonitor (2025): Tap water in Offenbach an der Queich. Values according to the water supplier’s test report, sampling date 9 September 2025; at the waterworks, not household plumbing. https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/offenbach-an-der-queich/
JSON: /api/v1/evidence?city=offenbach-an-der-queich
Data as of: 9 September 2025 · verified: 23 of 23 evaluated parameters. (older than twelve months – under § 46 TrinkwV your supplier must publish current values online)
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 Offenbach an der Queich. Retrieved from https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/offenbach-an-der-queich/.”