Tap water question

MacSpook

Yamadori
Messages
70
Reaction score
140
Location
Scotland, UK.
USDA Zone
8
My domestic tap water supply is treated by Chloramination. I can smell the chlorine when it's fresh from the tap but if I put a bottle of water in the fridge overnight the smell seems to disappear. My supplier's website, Scottish water, says it's safe to use for house plants and in the garden. So my question is this - Does it harm the beneficial fungi and bacteria in the soil that are good for plants and trees? I'm thinking ahead as I may have to set up rainwater collection in the garden before I start growing any material for bonsai.

Edit: Local water is from a reservoir and is soft with no lime in it.

Mac
 

Leo in N E Illinois

The Professor
Messages
11,337
Reaction score
23,254
Location
on the IL-WI border, a mile from ''da Lake''
USDA Zone
5b
Generally, if the water is considered potable, it is safe for most plants. Chloramine as it breaks down the amine portion becomes ammonia or ammonium ion depending on pH. Both forms can be used by the plants as fertilizer, a nitrogen source. So no harm.

Tropical fish in tanks can be harmed by chloramine, but plants will have no trouble.
 

Benjofen

Yamadori
Messages
54
Reaction score
89
Location
Chicago
USDA Zone
6a
My domestic tap water supply is treated by Chloramination. I can smell the chlorine when it's fresh from the tap but if I put a bottle of water in the fridge overnight the smell seems to disappear. My supplier's website, Scottish water, says it's safe to use for house plants and in the garden. So my question is this - Does it harm the beneficial fungi and bacteria in the soil that are good for plants and trees? I'm thinking ahead as I may have to set up rainwater collection in the garden before I start growing any material for bonsai.

Edit: Local water is from a reservoir and is soft with no lime in it.

Mac

If you're concerned about water quality, I'd consider getting some aquarium strips more so to check pH levels but I think they typically also check chlorine levels. They've been a life saver for me - the city treats the water at certain times of year causing the alkalinity to skyrocket.
 

Bonsai Nut

Nuttier than your average Nut
Messages
12,420
Reaction score
27,863
Location
Charlotte area, North Carolina
USDA Zone
8a
My domestic tap water supply is treated by Chloramination. I can smell the chlorine when it's fresh from the tap but if I put a bottle of water in the fridge overnight the smell seems to disappear. My supplier's website, Scottish water, says it's safe to use for house plants and in the garden. So my question is this - Does it harm the beneficial fungi and bacteria in the soil that are good for plants and trees? I'm thinking ahead as I may have to set up rainwater collection in the garden before I start growing any material for bonsai.

Edit: Local water is from a reservoir and is soft with no lime in it.
..
Mac
There is a difference between chlorine and chloramine. Though neither is usually directly harmful to trees, the use of chloramine can possibly lower pH, which in turn can have a negative impact on plumbing pipes and solder. As a result, water utilities that use chloramine will often raise pH as a preventative. Our water in SoCal was 8.5 pH out of the tap... not harmful to humans, but definitely harmful to trees that rely on irrigation for the majority of their water. So the question is usually not about chloramine - but about the pH of your tap water.

Note - this is less of an issue if your trees receive plenty of rainfall (which is naturally slightly acidic). But in Southern California where there is no rain for 8 months of the year, it could be the death-knell for acid loving species like maples, azaleas, and the like.
 

Arnold

Omono
Messages
1,760
Reaction score
2,665
Location
Canary Islands, Spain
USDA Zone
11B
I should probably add... if you can smell, it, it is probably chlorine, not chloramine.
Yep probably chlorine, he can water the plants directly with the tap without problem or let the water sit in a bucket to let the chlorine evaporate
 

Bonsai Nut

Nuttier than your average Nut
Messages
12,420
Reaction score
27,863
Location
Charlotte area, North Carolina
USDA Zone
8a
Yep probably chlorine, he can water the plants directly with the tap without problem or let the water sit in a bucket to let the chlorine evaporate
That is one of the reasons why they started using chloramine in many water utilities. It is much more stable and remains in the water column until it finds an organic molecule.

Heaven help you if you accidentally add it to a water pond with fish.
 

Arnold

Omono
Messages
1,760
Reaction score
2,665
Location
Canary Islands, Spain
USDA Zone
11B
I know I have aquariums, lucky for me in my zone they use chlorine and I let it evaporate before water changes
 

Arnold

Omono
Messages
1,760
Reaction score
2,665
Location
Canary Islands, Spain
USDA Zone
11B
Fresh I dont have money for salt xD, I like freswater shrimps and low tech planted. I have endlers, ancistrus, snails, neocaridina shrimps , etc..
 

MacSpook

Yamadori
Messages
70
Reaction score
140
Location
Scotland, UK.
USDA Zone
8
Water.png

I know I have aquariums, lucky for me in my zone they use chlorine and I let it evaporate before water changes

Years ago I had some fresh water aquariums. An uncle who lived locally, advised me to only wash the filter media with cycled water from the tank and not fresh tap water as this would kill all the friendly organisms that populate the filters. This was what made me think of preserving the good life forms in the soil.

I will definitely invest in a ph test kit. I've never used one and not sure about electronic or paper/colour chart type.

Mac
 
Top Bottom