Basel Tap Water - Naturally Filtered

The quality of water in Basel is determined by its origin and filtration:
Most of Basel's water comes from the Rhine, with a smaller portion from the Wiese River, which originates at Feldberg. This water is purified through various sophisticated filters before reaching the end consumer.
The use of water from the Rhine is vital for the drinking water supply of Basel and its surroundings. Natural groundwater reserves are insufficient or at risk of contamination.
After a rough pre-cleaning, the water is pumped into the groundwater under the two forests Lange Erlen and Hardwald, where it is naturally filtered and purified before being pumped back up.

The aquifers in the Lange Erlen (Basel Public Utility, IWB) and in the Hardwald (Hardwasser AG) supply drinking water for around 220,000 consumers in Basel-Stadt, Riehen, Bettingen, Binningen, and Allschwil.
To ensure water quality even in the event of accidents and contamination of the Rhine, more water is pumped into the aquifer than is extracted. Additionally, the quality of the water drawn from the Rhine is closely monitored to prevent contamination from entering the aquifer.

Top Quality through Continuous Monitoring

Drinking water itself is one of the most closely monitored foods and is continuously checked, supplemented by daily laboratory analyses.
An important factor for water quality in Basel is water hardness. Basel tap water is moderately hard, at 19°fH or 10.6°dH. The limits for soft water are 8.4°dH or 15°fH.
These units (°fH = French hardness, °dH = German hardness) refer to the dissolved minerals in the water, particularly the ions of the alkaline earth metals magnesium and calcium. Magnesium and calcium can form poorly soluble compounds, commonly referred to as "lime." The more minerals contained in the water, the "harder" the water.

✔ The following simple formula can be used to convert French hardness (°fH) to German hardness (°dH) and vice versa: °fH x 0.56 = °dH.

Ensuring Water Quality in Basel at Home

Even if the suppliers provide Basel with the highest quality water, contamination can still occur in your own tap water. Causes can include contamination by germs in fittings or heavy metals leaching from the home's piping material.

You can quickly and easily get certainty about the drinking water quality in your own house or apartment through a laboratory water test. There you can have your submitted sample tested for various contaminants.