Water hardness and tap water in Schorndorf
Rems-Murr-Kreis, Baden-Württemberg · Postcode 73614
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 (233), at the waterworks
- Water hardness14 °dH, mediumNo legal limit, only a range
- Data coverageCore parameters: 6 of 7Score based on complete data
Verified drinking-water values: water “Kernstadt (Zone Ottilienberg)”
Note from the test report (in the German original): Prüfbericht des fem zur Probe vom 15.09.2025 aus dem Ortsnetz, also nicht ab Wasserwerk, von den Stadtwerken für die Zone Ottilienberg veröffentlicht. Schorndorf ist in 13 Zonen geteilt, das Wasser kommt aus eigenen Quellen und von der Landeswasserversorgung; welche Zone für eine Adresse gilt, zeigt der Lageplan der Stadtwerke. Kupfer 0,082 und Blei 0,002 mg/l sind an dieser Zapfstelle im Netz gemessen und können vom Haus abhängen. PFAS enthält der Bericht nicht.
Background on household plumbing, not a measurement: in Schorndorf, 47 % of buildings with living space were built before 1970, and a further 17 % 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 Schorndorf
- Nitrate 21 mg/L – about 42 % 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 2 µg/L – about 20 % 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 7.7 – 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 Schorndorf in everyday life
At 14 °dH, Schorndorf 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 Schorndorf 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 Schorndorf 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 Schorndorf |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium | 20 mg/l | 12 mg/l – not above |
| Nitrate | 10 mg/l | 21 mg/l – above the bottled-water threshold |
| Nitrite | 0.02 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.01 mg/l) – not above |
| Sulphate | 240 mg/l | 24 mg/l – not above |
| Fluoride | 0.7 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.15 mg/l) – not above |
| Manganese | 0.05 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.005 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 (0.001 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 12 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 Schorndorf
Can you drink the tap water in Schorndorf?
According to the verified values, yes: All tested parameters with a legal limit (233) meet the limits set by the German Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV). WaterScore: 99.5 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 Schorndorf?
It depends on the address: Kernstadt (Zone Ottilienberg) 14 °dH, Kernstadt (Zone Holzberg) 23.6 °dH, Kernstadt (Zone Röhrach) 13.9 °dH, Kernstadt (Zone Steinmäurich) 13.6 °dH, Stadtteil Buhlbronn 13 °dH, Stadtteil Haubersbronn 13 °dH, Stadtteil Mannshaupten 13 °dH, Stadtteil Miedelsbach 13 °dH, Stadtteil Oberberken 13.3 °dH, Stadtteil Schlichten 13.4 °dH, Stadtteil Schornbach 13 °dH, Stadtteil Unterberken 14.3 °dH and Stadtteil Weiler 13.5 °dH. The waters are in different hardness ranges (“medium” and “hard”); detergent and descaler should follow the water at your address.
Is there PFAS in the tap water in Schorndorf?
The published analysis by Stadtwerke Schorndorf 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. For the other waters, the analyses give no PFAS value.
Do I need to filter my tap water in Schorndorf?
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 Schorndorf a concern?
It depends on the address: Kernstadt (Zone Ottilienberg) 21 mg/L, Kernstadt (Zone Holzberg) 16 mg/L, Kernstadt (Zone Röhrach) 22 mg/L, Kernstadt (Zone Steinmäurich) 22 mg/L, Stadtteil Buhlbronn 18 mg/L, Stadtteil Haubersbronn 17 mg/L, Stadtteil Mannshaupten 19 mg/L, Stadtteil Miedelsbach 18 mg/L, Stadtteil Oberberken 22 mg/L, Stadtteil Schlichten 18 mg/L, Stadtteil Schornbach 18 mg/L, Stadtteil Unterberken 21 mg/L and Stadtteil Weiler 22 mg/L. All values are below the limit of 50 mg/L. 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
- Total99.5 / 100
- Chemical safety100 / 100
- Heavy metals100 / 100
- Nutrients100 / 100
- General parameters100 / 100
- Data timeliness97.4 / 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 v4: how we calculate the WaterScore.
Evidence: cite and check
- Prüfbericht 2W25102, Versorgungszone Ottilienberg, Probenahme 15.09.2025 (Stadtwerke Schorndorf GmbH (Analyse: fem Forschungsinstitut, Schwäbisch Gmünd)) · SHA-256 of the evaluated file: 0cfd3d99f1a87bb1…, checked on 1 November 2026
Suggested citation: Trinkwassermonitor (2025): Tap water in Schorndorf. Values according to the water supplier’s test report, sampling date 15 September 2025; at the waterworks, not household plumbing. https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/schorndorf/
JSON: /api/v1/evidence?city=schorndorf
Data as of: 15 September 2025 · verified: 22 of 22 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 Schorndorf. Retrieved from https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/schorndorf/.”