Water hardness and tap water in Werdau
Landkreis Zwickau, Sachsen · Postcode 08412
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 (16), at the waterworks
- Water hardness3.3 °dH, softNo legal limit, only a range
- Data coverageCore parameters: 6 of 7Score based on complete data
Verified drinking-water values
| Parameter | Value | Limit (TrinkwV) | Sampling date | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate | 2.6 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 29 July 2025 | Wasserwerke Zwickau GmbH | verified |
| Nitrite | < 0.01 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 29 July 2025 | Wasserwerke Zwickau GmbH | verified |
| Lead | < 0.001 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 29 July 2025 | Wasserwerke Zwickau GmbH | verified |
| Arsenic | < 0.001 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 29 July 2025 | Wasserwerke Zwickau GmbH | verified |
| Uranium | 0.00018 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 29 July 2025 | Wasserwerke Zwickau GmbH | verified |
| Mercury | < 0.0001 mg/L | 0.001 mg/L | 29 July 2025 | Wasserwerke Zwickau GmbH | verified |
| Copper | 0.004 mg/L | 2 mg/L | 29 July 2025 | Wasserwerke Zwickau GmbH | verified |
| Chloride | 17.2 mg/L | 250 mg/L | 29 July 2025 | Wasserwerke Zwickau GmbH | verified |
| Sulphate | 13 mg/L | 250 mg/L | 29 July 2025 | Wasserwerke Zwickau GmbH | verified |
| Sodium | 9.3 mg/L | 200 mg/L | 29 July 2025 | Wasserwerke Zwickau GmbH | verified |
| Calcium | 21 mg/L | – | 29 July 2025 | Wasserwerke Zwickau GmbH | verified |
| Magnesium | 1.57 mg/L | – | 29 July 2025 | Wasserwerke Zwickau GmbH | verified |
| pH | 7.4 | 6.5–9.5 | 29 July 2025 | Wasserwerke Zwickau GmbH | verified |
| Total hardness | 3.3 °dH (soft) | no legal limit | 29 July 2025 | Wasserwerke Zwickau GmbH | verified |
| Electrical conductivity | 183 µS/cm | – | 29 July 2025 | Wasserwerke Zwickau GmbH | verified |
| Fluoride | 0.12 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L | 29 July 2025 | Wasserwerke Zwickau GmbH | verified |
| Iron | 0.01 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 29 July 2025 | Wasserwerke Zwickau GmbH | verified |
| Manganese | 0.012 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 29 July 2025 | Wasserwerke Zwickau GmbH | verified |
| Ammonium | < 0.02 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 29 July 2025 | Wasserwerke Zwickau GmbH | verified |
| Trihalomethanes (THM) | 4 µg/L | 50 µg/L | 29 July 2025 | Wasserwerke Zwickau GmbH | verified |
Note from the test report (in the German original): Trinkwasserwerte der Wasserwerke Zwickau für das Versorgungsgebiet Fernwasser Südsachsen aus dem Wasserwerk Burkersdorf, Stand 29.07.2025. Mit 3,3 °dH gehört das Wasser zu den weichsten in unserem Datenbestand. Mikrobiologische Werte und PFAS sind in der Übersicht nicht enthalten.
Background on household plumbing, not a measurement: in Werdau, 60 % of buildings with living space were built before 1970, and a further 5 % 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 Werdau
- Nitrate 2.6 mg/L – about 5 % of the limit of 50 mg/L and in the unremarkable range. 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 0.18 µg/L – unremarkable against a limit of 10 µg/L. In some regions uranium occurs naturally from the rock (geogenic).
- pH 7.4 – 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 Werdau in everyday life
At 3.3 °dH, Werdau 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 Werdau 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 Werdau 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 Werdau |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium | 20 mg/l | 9.3 mg/l – not above |
| Nitrate | 10 mg/l | 2.6 mg/l – not above |
| Nitrite | 0.02 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.01 mg/l) – not above |
| Sulphate | 240 mg/l | 13 mg/l – not above |
| Fluoride | 0.7 mg/l | 0.12 mg/l – not above |
| Manganese | 0.05 mg/l | 0.012 mg/l – not above |
| Arsenic | 0.005 mg/l | below the detection limit (0.001 mg/l) – not above |
| Uranium | 0.002 mg/l | 0.00018 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 9.3 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 Werdau
Can you drink the tap water in Werdau?
According to the verified values, yes: All tested parameters with a legal limit (16) meet the limits set by the German Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV). WaterScore: 99.1 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 Werdau?
The total hardness is 3.3 °dH – hardness range “soft”. Dose detergent for the hardness range “soft” – the lowest amount on the pack.
Is there PFAS in the tap water in Werdau?
The published analysis by Wasserwerke Zwickau 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 Werdau?
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
- Total99.1 / 100
- Chemical safety100 / 100
- Heavy metals100 / 100
- Nutrients100 / 100
- General parameters100 / 100
- Data timeliness95.4 / 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 v3: how we calculate the WaterScore.
Evidence: cite and check
- Trinkwasserwerte Fernwasser Südsachsen – Wasserwerk Burkersdorf, Stand 29.07.2025 (Wasserwerke Zwickau GmbH) · SHA-256 of the evaluated file: 316e1bfe61fd982d…, checked on 3 October 2026
Suggested citation: Trinkwassermonitor (2025): Tap water in Werdau. Values according to the water supplier’s test report, sampling date 29 July 2025; at the waterworks, not household plumbing. https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/werdau/
JSON: /api/v1/evidence?city=werdau
Data as of: 29 July 2025 · verified: 20 of 20 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 Werdau. Retrieved from https://trinkwassermonitor.ink/en/tap-water/werdau/.”