QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Type and scope of inspections for drinking water quality are specified by the “TVO” (Drinking Water Ordinance), which applies throughout Germany. Inspections are carried out by two independent certified laboratories. More than one thousand mostly micro-biological drinking water examinations are carried out every year. A comprehensive chemical and physical drinking water analysis is carried out three times per year. You can find the results of the latest drinking water examination in our Download centre.

Our drinking water has an overall German hardness of 8.8 ° (hardness degree: 1.6 mmol/l) = medium water hardness. Please follow the manufacturer instructions on their detergent packaging for the correct dosage of your detergent.

Our drinking water is balanced water – it does not leave any lime scale or calcification in water pipes and does not corrode the pipes.

The quality of the untreated water is very good; only vegetable and zoological plankton has to be removed from Lake Constance water by micro-filters and sand filters in the water treatment plant. The water is then disinfected by an ozone plant. In order to protect the water from re-contamination on its way to the consumer, we add chlorine dioxide in a concentration of 0.05 to 0.1 mg/l as a protective measure for a safe water supply.

Since the quality of our drinking water is very high, it can also be used without hesitation for preparing baby food. The nitrate value, which is significant for infants, amounts to 4 to 5 mg/l in Constance. This is significantly lower than the admissible limit of 50 mg/l according to the “TVO”. Please note that Stadtwerke Konstanz GmbH is only responsible for the drinking water quality up to your home connection. The water quality in your home might be affected by old pipes on your property. Any renewal or service of these pipes, if required, is the responsibility of the home owner.

Brown water often has a very simple cause: when works are carried out on the water network or on home installations, the water is turned off. As a result, the water sits in these pipes until the water is turned on again. As soon as this happens, traces of rust can be released from the inner walls of the pipes and discolour the water with a brown tint. When you have been on holidays for a longer time and turn the water on for the first time, it is also often brown. Simple remedy: let the water run for a few seconds until it becomes clear.

Stadtwerke Konstanz is only responsible for the water mains before the home connection point. Any faults in this area can be reported anytime by calling 07531 803-1. Any pipes inside the building or after the home connection point are the responsibility of the home owner. Please contact your landlord and/or your plumber regarding them.

When the annual consumption statement is issued depends on the date of the meter reading. This again depends on where you live, e.g. in which town/City or part of it. The network operator determines this. Corresponding to this, you will receive your invoice either earlier or later, but always at the same time every year. You’ll find an overview of the meter reading dates in Constance in our Meter reading schedule. Outside of Constance, meter reading is carried out by the corresponding network operator depending on their own meter reading schedule.

For organisational reasons, it is impossible to select an individual date for your monthly payment. You can, however, change the amount anytime on our LINK Customer web portal.

You’ll find an overview of the dates and times for water meter readings in our LINK District meter reading list. You are also welcome to enter your meter reading via the LINK Customer web portal.

You don’t have to be at home when the meter reading takes place – in apartment buildings, the meters are usually located in the cellar and can easily be read by us. If you live in a single-family house and our meter reader doesn’t catch you on the date of the meter reading that would be no problem – he will then leave you a postcard, on which you can conveniently enter your readings.