Offenbach tackles chlorine odour to improve tap water quality citywide
Offenbach am Main is taking steps to enhance drinking water quality across all its districts. Since August 2025, some residents have detected a chlorine smell in their tap water, leading the city to explore solutions for more consistent standards.
The issue emerged when Hessenwasser began supplying additional drinking water to the city's utility provider, ZWO. While the water adheres to all legal requirements and is preemptively treated with low chlorine levels, some areas occasionally experience odour problems.
To address this, ZWO is evaluating several technical fixes. Options include installing a central activated carbon filter at Kaiserlei, ventilating the harbour pipeline, or extending it into a circular loop. The city has yet to decide on the optimal approach. Lord Mayor Felix Schwenke emphasized the importance of achieving uniform water quality throughout Offenbach. Mayor Sabine Groß stated that the aim is to ensure every resident enjoys equally high standards. External experts will soon be consulted to assess the most effective and practical solution alongside ZWO.
The city continues to investigate ways to resolve the chlorine odour issue and balance water quality across districts. A final decision on technical measures will follow expert evaluations, with the goal of providing consistent, high-quality drinking water for all residents.
