Water hardness and tap water in Roßdorf
Landkreis Darmstadt-Dieburg, Hessen · Postcode 64380
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 hardness21.5 °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): Gemeindewerke Roßdorf · Trinkwasseranalyse für das Versorgungsgebiet WVG Roßdorf, Stand 14.11.2025, veröffentlicht im GW-Manager-Öffentlichkeitsportal (verlinkt im BDEW-Wasserportal), untersucht von Hessenwasser. Die Werte sind unverändert aus der Datenschnittstelle des Portals übernommen. Laut Wasserportal liegen der Ortsmittelpunkt von Roßdorf 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 Roßdorf, 44 % of buildings with living space were built before 1970, and a further 19 % 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 Roßdorf
- Nitrate 36.7 mg/L – about 73 % 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 0.074 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 1.3 µg/L – unremarkable against a limit of 10 µg/L. In some regions uranium occurs naturally from the rock (geogenic).
- pH 7.31 – 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 Roßdorf in everyday life
At 21.5 °dH, Roßdorf 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 Roßdorf 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 Roßdorf 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 Roßdorf |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium | 20 mg/l | 7.28 mg/l – not above |
| Nitrate | 10 mg/l | 36.7 mg/l – above |
| Nitrite | 0.02 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.03 mg/l) – cannot be assessed |
| Sulphate | 240 mg/l | 36.4 mg/l – not above |
| Fluoride | 0.7 mg/l | 0.13 mg/l – not above |
| Manganese | 0.05 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.001 mg/l) – not above |
| Arsenic | 0.005 mg/l | 0.00025 mg/l – not above |
| Uranium | 0.002 mg/l | 0.0013 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 7.28 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 Roßdorf
Can you drink the tap water in Roßdorf?
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: 97.2 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 Roßdorf?
The total hardness is 21.5 °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 Roßdorf?
The published analysis by Gemeindewerke Roßdorf 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 Roßdorf?
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 Roßdorf a concern?
The value of 36.7 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
- Total97.2 / 100
- Chemical safety86.4 / 100
- Heavy metals100 / 100
- Nutrients85 / 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
- Trinkwasseranalyse Versorgungsgebiet WVG Roßdorf, Stand 14.11.2025 (Gemeindewerke Roßdorf (veröffentlicht im GW-Manager-Öffentlichkeitsportal))
Suggested citation: Trinkwassermonitor (2025): Tap water in Roßdorf. Values according to the water supplier’s test report, sampling date 14 November 2025; at the waterworks, not household plumbing. https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/rossdorf/
JSON: /api/v1/evidence?city=rossdorf
Data as of: 14 November 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 Roßdorf. Retrieved from https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/rossdorf/.”