pH is a measure of how acidic or basic your drinking water is. In this article we’ll cover how pH affects your water quality, how to test for it, and how to adjust your pH.

 

pH in Drinking Water at a Glance:

Health Effects: Can leech metals and other compounds into your water

NSDWRs: 6.5-8.5

Test: Safe Home Basic 120 Test Strips

Treatment: RO or Acid injection to lower. Remineralization to raise

 

What is pH?

pH is a measure of how acidic or basic water is. The lower the pH, the more acidic. The higher the pH, the more basic. pH is highly affected by what other minerals and compounds are found in the water. For example, water that has high concentrations of limescale are typically high pH. While water that is contaminated by local industrial sites could be low pH.

 

Negative Effects of Low pH Water

If your drinking water has a pH lower than 6.5, it could cause several negative health effects. The most common effect we see on water reports is that acidic water can leech metals from your plumbing into your water. Low pH can also cause stomach issue by upsetting the pH balance of your stomach acid. Tooth decay is another health concern with long term exposure to acidic drinking water.

While it is not a health concern, low pH water typically has a sour, bitter taste that many will find unpleasant.

 

Negative Effects of High pH Water

Having drinking water with a pH higher than 8.5 can cause several negative health effects. Because of how basic the water is, it can lower the acidity of your stomach acid which can affect digestion and make it more difficult to absorb nutrients from your food.

At very high pH, such as 9.8 or higher, there may be risk of hyperkalemia or damage to the kidneys.

The primary negative effect of high pH is that the water is more likely to leave scale. This can not only cause unsightly stains on appliances and glassware, but can also ruin heating elements and appliances, shortening their life and causing you money.

 

Health Benefits of High pH Water

There are several studies and anecdotal stories about high pH water (approximately 8.8 pH) having some health effects. One of the most common claims is that it can be useful when treating  reflux disease or other stomach issues. These claims still require more research but could be promising in some situations.

 

How to Test pH in Drinking Water

pH is best to test on site, because it can change during transit to a laboratory. The Safe Home Basic 120 will include 10 test strips that will each test for pH in a range. For example 6 to 6.5, 6.5 to 7, etc. For exact measurements, laboratory testing will be needed. Such as the Safe Home Premium Test Kit which will be tested at an EPA-Certified Lab. Laboratory testing will include a larger variety of parameters that will also test for how corrosive your water is, metals, and more.

 

What to do if your pH needs adjusted

There are several methods to adjust pH, such as acid injection, remineralization, and more. We recommend taking your test results to a local water filtration expert and let them explain your options to you. The system used should be based off of your test results to ensure it’s the proper match for your situation.