Water hardness and tap water in Syke
Landkreis Diepholz, Niedersachsen · Postcode 28857
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 (54), at the waterworks
- Water hardness6.1 °dH, softNo legal limit, only a range
- Data coverageCore parameters: 6 of 7Score based on complete data
Verified drinking-water values: water “Hochbehälter Werder”
Note from the test report (in the German original): Wasserversorgung Syker Vorgeest · Mittelwerte aus 7 Monatsanalysen 2025. Diese Werte gelten für den Hochbehälter Werder (Mischwasser Holterheide und Ristedt). Der Versorger veröffentlicht drei Hochbehälter, aber nicht, welcher Syke oder einen Ortsteil beliefert. Die Härte ist überall ähnlich (5,7 bis 7,0 °dH, weich), Nitrat dagegen nicht: im Mittel 1,7, 12,6 oder 31,5 mg/l je nach Hochbehälter, alle unter dem Grenzwert 50 mg/l. Wer das für die eigene Adresse wissen will, fragt den Versorger. PFAS nennen diese Übersichten nicht; Trifluoressigsäure wurde hier nicht bestimmt. Die Werte gelten ab Hochbehälter.
Background on household plumbing, not a measurement: in Syke, 37 % 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 Syke
- Nitrate 12.6 mg/L – about 25 % 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.
- 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 8.29 – 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 Syke in everyday life
At 6.1 °dH, Syke 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 Syke 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 Syke 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 Syke |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium | 20 mg/l | 17.3 mg/l – not above |
| Nitrate | 10 mg/l | 12.6 mg/l – above the bottled-water threshold |
| Nitrite | 0.02 mg/l | 0.002 mg/l – not above |
| Sulphate | 240 mg/l | 55.3 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 | below the detection limit (0.0005 mg/l) – not above |
| Uranium | 0.002 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.0001 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 17.3 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 Syke
Can you drink the tap water in Syke?
According to the verified values, yes: All tested parameters with a legal limit (54) meet the limits set by the German Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV). WaterScore: 100 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 Syke?
It depends on the address: Hochbehälter Werder 6.1 °dH, Hochbehälter Holterheide 5.7 °dH and Hochbehälter Mahndorf 7 °dH – all 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 Syke?
The published analysis by Wasserversorgung Syker Vorgeest 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 Syke?
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 Syke a concern?
It depends on the address: Hochbehälter Werder 12.6 mg/L, Hochbehälter Holterheide 31.5 mg/L and Hochbehälter Mahndorf 1.7 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
- Total100 / 100
- Chemical safety100 / 100
- Heavy metals100 / 100
- Nutrients100 / 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 v4: how we calculate the WaterScore.
Evidence: cite and check
- Mittel-, Minimum-, Maximumwerte der Monatsanalysen aus 2025, HB Werder / MW Holterheide + Ristedt (Wasserversorgung Syker Vorgeest GmbH (Wasser der Harzwasserwerke)) · SHA-256 of the evaluated file: 8af4c4f8917387a2…, checked on 1 November 2026
Suggested citation: Trinkwassermonitor (2025): Tap water in Syke. Values according to the water supplier’s test report, sampling date 2025; at the waterworks, not household plumbing. https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/syke/
JSON: /api/v1/evidence?city=syke
Data as of: 2025 · verified: 22 of 22 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 Syke. Retrieved from https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/syke/.”