Water hardness and tap water in Thalheim/Erzgeb.
Erzgebirgskreis, Sachsen · Postcode 09380
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 (31), at the waterworks
- Water hardness7.3 °dH, softNo legal limit, only a range
- Data coverageCore parameters: 6 of 7Score based on complete data
Verified drinking-water values: water “Niederzone”
Note from the test report (in the German original): Prüfbericht des RZV Lugau-Glauchau, Probenahme am 13.03.2026 in der Apotheke am Rathaus. Thalheim bekommt je nach Adresse unterschiedliches Wasser; diese Werte gelten laut der adressgenauen Abfrage des Verbands für rund 52 % der Adressen. Nitrat liegt hier mit 38 mg/l bei 76 % des Grenzwerts, im Wasser der Hochzone (rund 48 % der Adressen) bei 8,0 mg/l. Gemessen wurden außerdem zwei Abbauprodukte des Pflanzenschutzmittels Metazachlor (0,0015 und 0,00069 mg/l); die im Bericht ausgewiesene Summe der Pflanzenschutzmittel liegt unter der Bestimmungsgrenze. Mikrobiologische Werte nennt dieser Bericht nicht.
Background on household plumbing, not a measurement: in Thalheim/Erzgeb., 63 % of buildings with living space were built before 1970, and a further 6 % 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 Thalheim/Erzgeb.
- Nitrate 38 mg/L – about 76 % 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 – 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 7.9 – 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 Thalheim/Erzgeb. in everyday life
At 7.3 °dH, Thalheim/Erzgeb. 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 Thalheim/Erzgeb. 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 Thalheim/Erzgeb. 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 Thalheim/Erzgeb. |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium | 20 mg/l | 5.81 mg/l – not above |
| Nitrate | 10 mg/l | 38 mg/l – above |
| Nitrite | 0.02 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.01 mg/l) – not above |
| Sulphate | 240 mg/l | 32 mg/l – not above |
| Fluoride | 0.7 mg/l | 0.11 mg/l – not above |
| Manganese | 0.05 mg/l | 0.001 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 (0.0001 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 5.81 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 Thalheim/Erzgeb.
Can you drink the tap water in Thalheim/Erzgeb.?
According to the verified values, yes: All tested parameters with a legal limit (31) meet the limits set by the German Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV). WaterScore: 96.7 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 Thalheim/Erzgeb.?
It depends on the address: Niederzone 7.3 °dH and Hochzone 4.5 °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 Thalheim/Erzgeb.?
The published analysis by RZV Lugau-Glauchau 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 Thalheim/Erzgeb.?
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 Thalheim/Erzgeb. a concern?
It depends on the address: Niederzone 38 mg/L and Hochzone 8 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
- Total96.7 / 100
- Chemical safety84.7 / 100
- Heavy metals100 / 100
- Nutrients82.3 / 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
- Prüfbericht Trinkwasser, Probenahme 13.03.2026, Apotheke am Rathaus Thalheim (Regionaler Zweckverband Wasserversorgung Bereich Lugau-Glauchau)
Suggested citation: Trinkwassermonitor (2026): Tap water in Thalheim/Erzgeb.. Values according to the water supplier’s test report, sampling date 13 March 2026; at the waterworks, not household plumbing. https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/thalheim-erzgeb/
JSON: /api/v1/evidence?city=thalheim-erzgeb
Data as of: 13 March 2026 · verified: 19 of 19 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 Thalheim/Erzgeb.. Retrieved from https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/thalheim-erzgeb/.”