The pH of drinking water should be neutral, but it can vary from region to region.
Clean spring water is the optimal quality for drinking water, and this is what we want to obtain from our tap water.
As a rule of thumb, the pH of drinking water should be around 7.2 to 7.5, matching the pH balance in the human body (No wonder, since our body is about 70% water)
pH of Drinking Water in our environment
In civilized countries, typically we don’t find acidic, or alkaline water beyond the accepted healthy limits in the municipal drinking water. However, significant variations in the water pH can be found in natural water from various sources that have not been treated.
It is important to know about the pH of water, because this can be an indicator of its quality
For instance:
Acidic water:
This can be found in lakes, rivers or underground water. It is generally caused by nearby industries or communities which discharge their waste into the environment without any previous treatment.
Acidic water can contain toxic chemical substances or organic materials coming from animal or human excrements. Obviously this is hazardous for our health.
If you want to use water from any natural source, you should have it analyzed first and use an appropriate water purification device.
As I mentioned, in normal cases we don’t find unhealthy levels of acidic water coming from the municipal distribution system. Some products used in the water treatment can cause acidity, but not to unhealthy levels. However it’s always a good idea to test the water you drink, just to be sure.
Alkaline water:
There are places in nature rich in calcareous stones or other minerals easily dissolved in water when it flows through. In these cases water becomes alkaline.
- When it contains an increased amount of Calcium and Magnesium, water is known as hard water.
This type of water is quite common for the tap water. It is not dangerous to drink it, although it can be a risk in developing kidney stones when you drink it everyday. Using a water softener would be a good idea.
** Paradoxically, credulous consumers have been mislead about drinking alkaline water 🙂
