Leipzig draws its water from the Canitz, Thallwitz and Naunhof waterworks east of the city, where groundwater from the Mulde floodplain is extracted. The catchment areas are managed organically, which is why nitrate is low despite farming.
Water hardness
16.5 °dHhardA lot of calcium and magnesium: good for the body, a nuisance for appliances. Descale regularly and use more detergent. Descale: every 4 weeks.
Aquaviana’s advice
- Hard water at 14 to 19 °dH; descale monthly.
- Wasserwerke Leipzig manage over 700 hectares of Bioland land to protect the groundwater.
- No chlorine in normal operation, good for filter coffee.
Where the water comes from
Since 1912, Leipzig’s water has come from the Mulde floodplain near Canitz and Thallwitz, where wells draw groundwater that has been filtered through gravel and sand. The Naunhof waterworks in the south adds water from the Parthe area. To avoid nitrate and pesticides, the waterworks run their own Bioland farm on the land above the wells. Treatment: aeration and filtering against iron and manganese.
Hardness and taste
Leipzig water is hard, 14 to 19 °dH (about 250 to 340 mg/l CaCO3), with calcium around 100 mg/l and magnesium around 15. Sulphate is comparatively high at around 150 to 200 mg/l, which gives the water a slightly mineral note. Thanks to the organic management, nitrate is under 10 mg/l.
What that means day to day
Limescale is the main issue; descale every four weeks. A filter helps for tea and espresso; for everything else the water can be drunk from the tap without restriction. The waterworks offer guided tours, a good look at a water you otherwise never see.
Try it out
Hardness converterConvert °dH, °fH, °e, mmol/l and ppm into one another and read off the hardness range and descaling interval.Tap water checkEight questions about your home, pipes and region, an assessment with a traffic light and next steps.Share
