Learn how to treat acidic well water in this short article including how to raise ph in drinking and well water and how to lower ph in well water.
Effects of acidic well water.
Acidic water metallic leaching and lead poisoning.
Like water hardness acidity is a natural condition of some well water that is a nuisance but generally not a health hazard.
Metallic or sour taste of drinking water.
There are a number of factors that can lower the ph of water.
Find out why and how below.
Some commercial alkaline water is produced by the addition of minerals such as magnesium and calcium adding to its supposed health benefits.
For example a 2012 study found that drinking naturally carbonated artesian well alkaline water with a ph of 8 8 may help deactivate pepsin the main enzyme that causes acid reflux.
Anything above 7 is considered to be alkaline and exactly 7 is deemed neutral.
Acid water can cause metal pipes to corrode and leave blue green stains on your sinks faucets and other plumbing fixtures.
Any water with ph levels below 7.
Above 7 0 it is basic or alkaline.
If water is below 7 on the ph scale it s acidic if it s higher than 7 it s alkaline epa guidelines state that the ph of tap water should be between 6 5 and 8 5.
However natural unpolluted rainwater has a ph of about 5 6 acidic.
It s worth noting that acidic water has no such healthy reputation so you wouldn t be alone if you re wondering about the positive and negative health effects of ph on drinking water.
Otherwise there s no scientific basis that the ph of drinking water has an impact on health.
On private water systems one of the most common causes of pipe and fixture corrosion is from low ph which can be defined as acidic water with a ph of less than 7 0 ph.
Pure water has a ph of 7 0 neutral.
Blue green staining of sinks and other household fixtures.
Acid water is water with a potential hydrogen ph of less than 7.
Ph refers to the amount of hydrogen ions mixed in with the water.
Acidic water can be bad for your body.
Zero through 7 indicates acidity the lower the number the higher the acidity.
Drinking water has a normal ph range between 6 and 8 5 meaning that it typically has a level that s just below or just above a neutral ph.
Effects of alkaline water.
But the effects of ph on your home could give you headaches.
Common causes for acidic well water are from acid rainfall due to atmospheric carbon dioxide and other airborne pollutants and in some cases runoff from mines.
Ph is measured on a scale from 0 to 14 and 7 represents neutral where the water is neither alkaline nor acidic.