PFAS in tap water in Germany
Official PFAS results for 25 cities in Germany, from 10 water utilities and LGL Bayern. The newest is from 3 August 2026. 16 of 25 cities with a PFAS-4 value are at or above our 0.5 ng/L benchmark. 8 are above 4 ng/L, Sweden's legal limit. The highest PFAS-4 values: Berlin (18 ng/L), Mannheim (13 ng/L) and Leipzig (10 ng/L). Data updated on 28 September 2026.
Federal states
| Area | Cities | With PFAS-4 value | At/above 0.5 ng/L | Highest PFAS-4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamburg | 1 | 1 | 0 | no value |
| North Rhine-Westphalia | 4 | 4 | 3 | Münster, 10 ng/L |
| Baden-Württemberg | 2 | 2 | 2 | Mannheim, 13 ng/L |
| Bavaria | 16 | 16 | 9 | Unterneukirchen, 6.6 ng/L |
| Berlin | 1 | 1 | 1 | Berlin, 18 ng/L |
| Saxony | 1 | 1 | 1 | Leipzig, 10 ng/L |
The 20 cities with the highest PFAS-4 values in Germany
Ranked by the measured PFAS-4 sum. Each row links to the city's page.
| # | City | PFAS-4 | Date | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berlin | 18 ng/L | 3,685,265 | |
| 2 | Mannheim · Baden-Württemberg | 13 ng/L | 318,035 | |
| 3 | Leipzig · Saxony | 10 ng/L | 611,850 | |
| 4 | Münster · North Rhine-Westphalia | 10 ng/L | 308,258 | |
| 5 | Köln · North Rhine-Westphalia | 8.8 ng/L | 1,024,621 | |
| 6 | Unterneukirchen · Bavaria | 6.6 ng/L | 3,506 | |
| 7 | Teising · Bavaria | 6.3 ng/L | 1,713 | |
| 8 | Duisburg · North Rhine-Westphalia | 5.8 ng/L | 502,270 | |
| 9 | Burghausen · Bavaria | 2.8 ng/L | 19,558 | |
| 10 | Garching an der Alz · Bavaria | 1.6 ng/L | 8,491 | |
| 11 | Nürnberg · Bavaria | 1.5 ng/L | 529,508 | |
| 12 | Rastatt · Baden-Württemberg | 1 ng/L | 50,741 | |
| 13 | Burgkirchen an der Alz · Bavaria | 0.82 ng/L | 11,006 | |
| 14 | Marktl · Bavaria | 0.64 ng/L | 2,812 | |
| 15 | Haiming · Bavaria | 0.64 ng/L | 2,567 | |
| 16 | Stammham · Bavaria | 0.64 ng/L | 972 |
The 20 lowest quantified PFAS-4 values in Germany
Only values above the detection limit are ranked. In 9 cities none of the four substances was detected.
| # | City | PFAS-4 | Date | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marktl · Bavaria | 0.64 ng/L | 2,812 | |
| 2 | Haiming · Bavaria | 0.64 ng/L | 2,567 | |
| 3 | Stammham · Bavaria | 0.64 ng/L | 972 | |
| 4 | Burgkirchen an der Alz · Bavaria | 0.82 ng/L | 11,006 | |
| 5 | Rastatt · Baden-Württemberg | 1 ng/L | 50,741 | |
| 6 | Nürnberg · Bavaria | 1.5 ng/L | 529,508 | |
| 7 | Garching an der Alz · Bavaria | 1.6 ng/L | 8,491 | |
| 8 | Burghausen · Bavaria | 2.8 ng/L | 19,558 | |
| 9 | Duisburg · North Rhine-Westphalia | 5.8 ng/L | 502,270 | |
| 10 | Teising · Bavaria | 6.3 ng/L | 1,713 | |
| 11 | Unterneukirchen · Bavaria | 6.6 ng/L | 3,506 | |
| 12 | Köln · North Rhine-Westphalia | 8.8 ng/L | 1,024,621 | |
| 13 | Leipzig · Saxony | 10 ng/L | 611,850 | |
| 14 | Münster · North Rhine-Westphalia | 10 ng/L | 308,258 | |
| 15 | Mannheim · Baden-Württemberg | 13 ng/L | 318,035 | |
| 16 | Berlin | 18 ng/L | 3,685,265 |
How to read this page
PFAS-4 is the sum of PFOA, PFOS, PFNA and PFHxS, the four PFAS that EFSA judges most harmful. Values are in nanograms per litre (ng/L); 1 ng/L = 0.001 µg/L.
Three reference values: 0.5 ng/L, our health benchmark (a proposal, not a legal limit); 4 ng/L, Sweden's legal limit since 2026 and the strictest PFAS-4 limit in Europe; 100 ng/L for the sum of 20 PFAS, the EU legal limit since January 2026.
Labs count undetected substances as zero, so a PFAS-4 sum is a minimum. A city only counts as "at or above 0.5 ng/L" when the measurement proves it, and a non-detect only counts as below when the detection limits allow it.
Each city has one value per waterworks, usually the utility's annual mean or median, and in Landkreis Altötting dated official control samples from the LGL. The city's headline is the waterworks with the highest PFAS-4 sum; every works is named and listed on the city page. Your utility can tell you which works serves your address.
Legal limits and dates in Germany
Germany's Trinkwasserverordnung of 2023 adopts the EU limit of 100 ng/L for the sum of 20 PFAS, binding since 12 January 2026. For the four most harmful PFAS (PFAS-4) a limit of 20 ng/L applies from 12 January 2028. This site's 0.5 ng/L benchmark and the 4 ng/L used as the health reference (Sweden's limit) are stricter than both.
Sources, regulators and licences
Germany has no national database of PFAS results per supply area. Water utilities test their own water under the Trinkwasserverordnung, the district health offices (Gesundheitsämter) supervise them, and the Umweltbundesamt (UBA) sets the technical guidance. This page lists only the cities and municipalities whose utility or health office publishes the PFAS-20 or PFAS-4 sum per waterworks; cities without published PFAS values are deliberately absent.
- Berliner Wasserbetriebe – Analysendaten der Wasserwerke, Jahresmedianwerte 2025 · 1 cities · Licence: Urheberrechtlich geschützte Veröffentlichung der Berliner Wasserbetriebe; Sachdaten mit Quellenangabe wiedergegeben (keine offene Lizenz angegeben)
Analysis data of the waterworks, annual medians per works (PDF). The next annual medians are expected in the spring of the following year.
- Hamburg Wasser – Detailanalysen der Wasserwerke (Stand 2026-01-29) · 1 cities · Licence: Veröffentlichung von Hamburg Wasser (Hamburger Wasserwerke GmbH); Sachdaten mit Quellenangabe wiedergegeben (keine offene Lizenz angegeben)
Detailed analyses of the waterworks, annual means per works (HTML tables). Hamburg Wasser refreshes the tables at the start of the year; quarterly values continuously.
- Bayerisches Landesamt für Gesundheit und Lebensmittelsicherheit (LGL) – Messwerte zu PFAS im Trinkwasser, Landkreis Altötting · 15 cities · Licence: Veröffentlichung des LGL Bayern; amtliche Messwerte mit Quellenangabe wiedergegeben (keine offene Lizenz angegeben)
LGL measurements of PFAS in drinking water, Landkreis Altötting (official control sampling, HTML table). The authorities sample quarterly; the next round appears about two months after the end of the quarter.
- Stadtwerke Duisburg – Trinkwasseranalyse, Jahresmittelwerte 2025 und Quartal 1/2026 · 1 cities · Licence: Veröffentlichung von Stadtwerke Duisburg AG; Sachdaten mit Quellenangabe wiedergegeben (keine offene Lizenz angegeben)
Drinking-water analysis per supply area, annual means and latest quarter (PDF). Quarterly, about a month after the end of the quarter.
- N-ERGIE – Trinkwasser-Analysewerte im Versorgungsgebiet (Proben 2026-02-11 bis 2026-04-08) · 1 cities · Licence: Veröffentlichung von N-ERGIE Aktiengesellschaft; Sachdaten mit Quellenangabe wiedergegeben (keine offene Lizenz angegeben)
Drinking-water analysis values, extracts per network zone (PDF, single samples). No fixed schedule; the PDF is replaced when new analyses are available.
- Eigenbetrieb Wasser und Abwasser Wuppertal – Trinkwasseranalyse 2025, Jahresmittelwerte · 1 cities · Licence: Veröffentlichung von WSW Wuppertaler Stadtwerke / Stadt Wuppertal; Sachdaten mit Quellenangabe wiedergegeben (keine offene Lizenz angegeben)
Drinking-water analysis, annual means of the three waterworks (PDF). Annually, expected in the middle of the following year.
- MVV Netze – Untersuchung von Trinkwasser (Parameter Typ B), Probenahme 2026-08-03 · 1 cities · Licence: Veröffentlichung von MVV Energie AG / MVV Netze GmbH; Sachdaten mit Quellenangabe wiedergegeben (keine offene Lizenz angegeben)
Drinking-water analysis (type B parameters), lab report per waterworks (PDF). Every two months; the reports are replaced at the same address.
- Stadtwerke Rastatt – Trinkwasseranalyse (Stand 2026-03-10) · 1 cities · Licence: Stadtwerke Rastatt; die Analyse ist im Open-Data-Portal re@di / GovData unter CC BY 4.0 veröffentlicht (Ausgabe 2024), die Website-Tabelle ohne eigene Lizenzangabe
Drinking-water analysis per waterworks (HTML table; 2024 edition as open data under CC BY 4.0). Annually, expected in March.
- RheinEnergie – Trinkwasseranalyse, Jahresmittelwerte 2025 · 1 cities · Licence: Veröffentlichung von RheinEnergie AG; Sachdaten mit Quellenangabe wiedergegeben (keine offene Lizenz angegeben)
Drinking-water analysis per supply zone (left and right bank of the Rhine), annual means with itemised PFAS (PDF). Annually, the next edition expected in the spring of the following year.
- Leipziger Wasserwerke – Jahresdurchschnittsanalyse 2025 · 1 cities · Licence: Veröffentlichung von Kommunale Wasserwerke Leipzig GmbH; Sachdaten mit Quellenangabe wiedergegeben (keine offene Lizenz angegeben)
Annual average analysis per supply point (PDF); individual compounds are not published. Annually, expected in March of the following year.
- Stadtwerke Münster – Trinkwasseranalytik 2024, Jahresmittelwerte (Open Data Münster) · 1 cities · Licence: Open Data Münster, Lizenz im Datensatz nicht angegeben („notspecified“); Herausgeber Stadtwerke Münster
Drinking-water analytics, annual means per waterworks (XLSX, Open Data Münster). Annually; the 2025 edition exists only as an image PDF so far and is taken over once it is machine-readable.
Frequently asked questions
How much PFAS is in tap water in Germany?
This page summarises the official PFAS results in the tap water of 25 cities in Germany, published by 10 water utilities and LGL Bayern. The measured value is PFAS-4, the sum of PFOA, PFOS, PFNA and PFHxS, in nanograms per litre (ng/L). The most recent result dates from 3 August 2026. 25 of the 25 cities have a PFAS-4 value. 16 of them (64 %) are at or above 0.5 ng/L, this site's health benchmark, and 8 (32 %) are above 4 ng/L, the strictest legal PFAS-4 limit in force in Europe (Sweden, since 2026).
Which city in Germany has the highest PFAS-4 value?
Berlin: 18 ng/L (36× the 0.5 ng/L benchmark), result of 31 December 2025. Source: Berliner Wasserbetriebe – Analysendaten der Wasserwerke, Jahresmedianwerte 2025. The 20 highest values are in the table above.
Which PFAS limits apply in Germany?
Germany's Trinkwasserverordnung of 2023 adopts the EU limit of 100 ng/L for the sum of 20 PFAS, binding since 12 January 2026. For the four most harmful PFAS (PFAS-4) a limit of 20 ng/L applies from 12 January 2028. This site's 0.5 ng/L benchmark and the 4 ng/L used as the health reference (Sweden's limit) are stricter than both.
Is tap water in Germany safe to drink?
Germany has no national database of PFAS results per supply area. Water utilities test their own water under the Trinkwasserverordnung, the district health offices (Gesundheitsämter) supervise them, and the Umweltbundesamt (UBA) sets the technical guidance. This page lists only the cities and municipalities whose utility or health office publishes the PFAS-20 or PFAS-4 sum per waterworks; cities without published PFAS values are deliberately absent. Against the EU limit of 100 ng/L for the sum of 20 PFAS, no covered city is non-compliant. Against Sweden's stricter 4 ng/L PFAS-4 limit, 8 cities would be above, and 16 against this site's 0.5 ng/L benchmark. What a result means for you is explained on your city's page.
Where does this data come from?
All values come from official publications: Berliner Wasserbetriebe – Analysendaten der Wasserwerke, Jahresmedianwerte 2025; Hamburg Wasser – Detailanalysen der Wasserwerke (Stand 2026-01-29); Bayerisches Landesamt für Gesundheit und Lebensmittelsicherheit (LGL) – Messwerte zu PFAS im Trinkwasser, Landkreis Altötting; Stadtwerke Duisburg – Trinkwasseranalyse, Jahresmittelwerte 2025 und Quartal 1/2026; N-ERGIE – Trinkwasser-Analysewerte im Versorgungsgebiet (Proben 2026-02-11 bis 2026-04-08); Eigenbetrieb Wasser und Abwasser Wuppertal – Trinkwasseranalyse 2025, Jahresmittelwerte; MVV Netze – Untersuchung von Trinkwasser (Parameter Typ B), Probenahme 2026-08-03; Stadtwerke Rastatt – Trinkwasseranalyse (Stand 2026-03-10); RheinEnergie – Trinkwasseranalyse, Jahresmittelwerte 2025; Leipziger Wasserwerke – Jahresdurchschnittsanalyse 2025; Stadtwerke Münster – Trinkwasseranalytik 2024, Jahresmittelwerte (Open Data Münster). Last retrieved on 28 September 2026; the site refreshes the data weekly, and the latest result date on each city page is authoritative.
How do I cite these figures?
Name the city, the sample date shown on the page, the source and the page URL. The "Source and citation" block below and on every city page contains a ready-made citation sentence; each source's licence is listed next to it.
Data and downloads
- One JSON file per city (values, samples, networks, source, licence):
/report/de/{slug}.json(example: /report/de/berlin-11000000.json). - Every city page of Germany is listed in the sitemap: /sitemap-communes-de-0.xml (/sitemap-index.xml).
- Plain-text summary of the site for AI assistants and crawlers: /llms.txt (full version with the methodology: /llms-full.txt).
- This page and every city page carry schema.org Dataset markup with the licence, the values, the sample date and the source.
The water report for your city
Choose your city to understand the available results and receive new PFAS results.
Choose my cityThis site is a data project, not an official source. If in doubt, check with your water supplier or local authority.