Tap vs. Distilled vs. R. Osmosis water

[HorseloverFat]

Well THAT’S no good!

 

[HorseloverFat]

Whoops forgot the picture!!!


I’d ESTIMATE 7.4(ish)... no good at all.

 

[Mikecheck123]

Show me a place that has supposedly bad water quality and I'll then show you some trees growing ten feet away.

 

[HorseloverFat]

1 drop lemon juice per 2.5 oz brought it to an ESTIMATED 5.9(ish)

 

[Gustavo Martins]

You guys ever think about the pH of your substrate?
Quick look at bonsai jack.com pumice 8.63 and lava rock 9.22 pH

I use RO water to drink, but rarely ever for my trees since my system runs about 3-4:1 waste to product water.
My tap runs ~150 TDS and places in AZ runs 800+ TDS, but I thoroughly understand not trusting Detroits water.
https://www.npr.org/2019/04/25/717104335/5-years-after-flints-crisis-began-is-the-water-safe
Now I can tell you that having ran a distiller for drinking that it takes a LOT of energy, electric, to supply
a family with drinking water, and trusting distilled water from the store hah! I've tested freshly opened jugs
at 21 TDS!!! WTH!? Water accidents from running an RO system I'm no stranger too. My wife and I came back from a local
neighborhood walk only to see water pouring like a waterfall out out entrance door, and ran 25 feet across our kitchen into
the living room. A connection had busted, but I've also forgot sometimes to set a timer (not using a float valve) and ran the
wash machine over...ugh.

If I were you I would consider a simple carbon filtre. Be it a slow Britta or add on at the tap for your trees
where there are chemical residues since you probably don't have to use 25 GPD to water your plants.

I wouldn’t drink RO water. It can become somewhat acidic if exposed to the air but even worse it will remove all the minerals it can. Water is the best solvent. I don’t want it to do that inside of me.

 

[Gustavo Martins]

If the content of salts, especially calcium and magnesium is low, pH readings are meaningless. You can change the pH of low alkalinity water by blowing to it.

 

[Japonicus]

I wouldn’t drink RO water. It can become somewhat acidic if exposed to the air but even worse it will remove all the minerals it can. Water is the best solvent. I don’t want it to do that inside of me.

I've been drinking distilled and RO water for better than 30 years
but if one was concerned with not getting necessary minerals from their diet
and or supplements, then SpectraPure offers a remineralizing cartridge for `$33 here >

SpectraPure® Remineralizing Carbon Filter 10" -FA-OCBR-10

SpectraPure Remineralization / OCB Granular Activated Carbon Filter Cartridge 3 inch D x 10 inch L Features: Dual Purpose Post Filter for Drinking Water Systems. OCB Granulated Activated Carbon Filter Cartridge (50%) SpectraPure Remineralization Filter Cartridge (50%) Drop in cartridge that fits...

spectrapure.com

Oh and I've not had a cavity in my teeth since I can remember. Besides I hear fluoride is harmful.

When we have a water crisis with a known carcinogen in it MCHM that burns your skin when you shower
and smells like licorice, then they (disaster relief) bring in semi tankers of "SAFE!!!" water to drink for the public to fill any container
at no charge, then we the public hear that/those semi(s) tested positive for the exact same carcinogen
don't think for one second I will ever trust my water supply. We're mad as hell about this, and to the point a movie
"What Lies upstream" was made https://www.pri.org/stories/2018-04...ruths-behind-water-crisis-west-virginia-other
You can see/buy it on Amazon as well as many other places. Yeh, your waters not safe to contact your skin so drink this water, damn if it wasn't the same*&#@

 

[kale]

You're way off base. Trees can use the minerals and in fact need some of the minerals in your water. Rain water also has minerals in it, in some cases more than your tap water which is filtered. Except in cases of acid rain, no trees have ever died from it.

The cost of making reverse osmosis water for your trees if you have more than just a few would be into the stupidity range.
I have been watering my trees for 10 years with tap water that is chloronated ( ) from our county water authority from the hose ( ) and not one died from it.

Now if you for some reason have super acidic tap water or super hard tap water, then you will have to do some adjustments. There are house hold sized water conditioner that would still probably be more cost effective than an RO unit.

I use RO water that I make for my salt water tank that has corals in it because the minerals in the tap water could definitely cause issues with the tank water chemisty to the detriment of the corals only.

In order to know what is in your water, youll have to have it tested of if you have public water, go look at the annual/semiannual reports that your water authority puts out. You can probably find them on their web page. Its public knowledge and I believe all water authorities have to make the info available.

Your tap water is probably fine. This is a solution in search of a problem. Dont make it harder than it has to be.

Hi @Paradox! My MIL just got a saltwater tank and is getting ready to delve into that. Any recommendations for info sources? Is there a forum like this one for that hobby?

 

[Japonicus]

Is there a forum like this one for that hobby?

The Reef Tank

A forum community dedicated to reef aquarium owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about flora, health, behavior, housing, adopting, care, classifieds, and more!

www.thereeftank.com

tell hacks hobby (Hack) I sent ya over
I can link you to a thread there that details how to sanitize your RO system when you replace the cartridges if you like.
When you use DI cartridges be sure they are not horizontally located on the system rather fed from the bottom.

 

[Paradox]

Hi @Paradox! My MIL just got a saltwater tank and is getting ready to delve into that. Any recommendations for info sources? Is there a forum like this one for that hobby?

Depends on where you want to go with it.

This site has some good info:

Reef Central Online Community

Reef Central Online Community Discussion Forums For Marine Reef Aquarists Saltwater Aquarium Hobby

www.reefcentral.com

 

[Bnana]

I wouldn’t drink RO water. It can become somewhat acidic if exposed to the air but even worse it will remove all the minerals it can. Water is the best solvent. I don’t want it to do that inside of me.

Sure RO water is a awful source of minerals. I would suggest to eat things from time to time to supplement this.

RO water is safe to drink, it's very hard to drink enough to make this an issue.

 

[HorseloverFat]

So upon more proper inspection.. my house-water PH was actuallu 7.7-7.8 ...eesh!!

But .5 oz per Gallon(Housewater) of Muriatic Acid has got it around 6.1-6.2.. and I’m happy with that.. i accidentally got a lungful..

 

[Gustavo Martins]

Sure RO water is a awful source of minerals. I would suggest to eat things from time to time to supplement this.

RO water is safe to drink, it's very hard to drink enough to make this an issue.

Drinking it for 30 years is enough?
it is corrosive. Look in google scholar and you’ll find what I said. But keep drinking if you want. I prefer beer

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

So upon more proper inspection.. my house-water PH was actuallu 7.7-7.8 ...eesh!!

But .5 oz per Gallon(Housewater) of Muriatic Acid has got it around 6.1-6.2.. and I’m happy with that.. i accidentally got a lungful..

I've said this often, but it bears repeating. Municipal water suppliers are required by law to buffer the pH of the water to pH 7.8 or higher. This is to prevent lead poisoning. If you are on a municipal system, and your water is less than 7,6 pH, call your Health Department, you city or village is trying to give you and your children lead poisoning.

If your municipal water comes from the Great Lakes, the water quality is excellent for bonsai and general horticulture. Even after the municipality has buffered the water to a pH of 7.8 to 8.3, the total dissolved solids, and the total alkalinity is low enough that all the common species of trees used for bonsai have no trouble compensating for the pH. You really don't need to mess around with adjusting pH for most trees.

Lake Michigan water runs about 180 mg/liter total alkalinity. This is the highest of the Great Lakes, and is just high enough for azaleas to be a "little bit touchy" about the water. Not real bad for azalea, just on the hard side for azalea. However, if at least once or twice a month you allow rain to give your azaleas a good flushing you should not have much trouble. Lake Michigan sourced water is only a problem for azaleas grown 100% indoors without occasional flushing with rain water.

I'm trying to save you money, you don't need to be testing your pH, and you don't need to adjust your pH. Your water is good enough, unless your collection is strictly touchy carnivorous plants.

 

[HorseloverFat]

I've said this often, but it bears repeating. Municipal water suppliers are required by law to buffer the pH of the water to pH 7.8 or higher. This is to prevent lead poisoning. If you are on a municipal system, and your water is less than 7,6 pH, call your Health Department, you city or village is trying to give you and your children lead poisoning.

If your municipal water comes from the Great Lakes, the water quality is excellent for bonsai and general horticulture. Even after the municipality has buffered the water to a pH of 7.8 to 8.3, the total dissolved solids, and the total alkalinity is low enough that all the common species of trees used for bonsai have no trouble compensating for the pH. You really don't need to mess around with adjusting pH for most trees.

Lake Michigan water runs about 180 mg/liter total alkalinity. This is the highest of the Great Lakes, and is just high enough for azaleas to be a "little bit touchy" about the water. Not real bad for azalea, just on the hard side for azalea. However, if at least once or twice a month you allow rain to give your azaleas a good flushing you should not have much trouble. Lake Michigan sourced water is only a problem for azaleas grown 100% indoors without occasional flushing with rain water.

I'm trying to save you money, you don't need to be testing your pH, and you don't need to adjust your pH. Your water is good enough, unless your collection is strictly touchy carnivorous plants.

Cool cool! Thank you!

All my outdoor plants get watered with rainwater via my collection system... I KNOW that water is within decent levels.

I was simply curious about my indoors-wintering plants, whose ONLY water source is that municipal water.. it’s great to know that It shouldn’t need alteration...

I had always assumed that nearing 8 was “bad”.

Thank you for catching this “train of thought” quite early.. and saving me some time and dollars.

 

[clem]

With very high PH (8.8 and more) you may have health and growth problems : Results Of pH Experiment After One Year | Michael Hagedorn (crataegus.com)

I didn't do any scientific experimentation , but since i add some phosphoric acid (PH down) to my well water (inital PH 7.8) to get a PH = 6 my acer palmatum grow more. Now i collect rain water with PH = 6.5 so it is OK

 

[BuckeyeOne]

PH = 6 my acer palmatum grow more

Good to know!
I collect rainwater and have been using it for all my trees, but maybe I'll reserve it for my JM's!!
My municipal water is sourced from Lake Erie, one of the best fresh water reserves in the world!

 

[Forsoothe!]

I guess it's time for me to chime in with my bias. Isn't it easier to use a media like nice garden dirt that moderates the effects of water? I have Great Lakes water that Leo says is ~7.8 as delivered via the Detroit system and use a moderate sprinkle of Ammonium Sulfate top dressing to my high organic dirt with equal parts pine bark soil conditioner and added bone char formula. I don't see any changes in growth, but then I don't think I want to do anything to create wild swings, I just want nice growth over the long haul. The AS is new, lately, to adjust for the bone char which I have included for ~15 years. Again, I see no changes but most things prefer ~7-ish and this region has basically sweet soil. I use a commercial 20-20-20 liquid a few times a year, and Fulvic/Humic/Kelp at low rates more often, but just for the last ~2 years. I would be worried if I saw sudden improvements in growth in anything because high growth makes for big, floppy plants and that's not bonsai, or garden plants for that matter. My aim has always been growth just a little stronger than untended/unaided in the landscape and in bonsai, and that's what I see.

I would point out that "good" growth includes proper watering to prevent man-made droughts which can set back plants when they are not watered more when the hot weather spells occur. Lots of water in very hot weather goes a long way to great growth in those conditions. Soggy at high noon. Too wet because of lots of rain doesn't happen here, either, -luckily. Fooling with the water supply seems to me to be a really big deal and involves a lot of science. Any time you're dealing with a log scale, it's easy to make mistakes. Shooting from the hip can get some wild swings in outcome and I'm glad I don't have to pay attention to that crap.

 

[Bnana]

This rule that driving water has to be >7.8 is a US thing. In large parts of the world lead pipes were banned and removed a long time ago.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

This rule that driving water has to be >7.8 is a US thing. In large parts of the world lead pipes were banned and removed a long time ago.

This is true. It is strictly a USA regulation. In cities like Chicago, the municipal water supply lines were put in place in 1890-1900, and were lead at the time. These 120 year old supply lines have only been partially updated. Lead for plumbing was not outlawed until about 1975 or 1980. Large areas of older cities have areas with supply lines that have not been updated to leaf free plumbing.