pH Levels in Drinking Water: Facts You Shouldn’t Miss Out

Water is essential for our survival. The quality of water you drink affects your health directly. Many factors like purity, temperature, amount, and pH significantly impact the reaction of your body towards it.

In this article, we are going to discuss the pH levels of drinking water and the facts related to it.

First of all, let us understand that what pH is, it’s scale ratings how it is related to the human body.

What is pH?

All of us know a little about chemistry; pH is the measure to determine the acidity or alkalinity of a solution.

pH Scale

A pH scale has values from 1-14. Acidic solutions have a value of 1-6, with 1 being the most strong; neutral solutions have a pH of 7, while the pH of alkaline solutions is 8-14. The strength of the alkaline solution is stronger towards the end of the scale.

Pure Water has a pH of 7. It is neutral because it has neither acidic nor basic properties.

Relation to Human Body

Your body works just like a complex machine which has different fluids. The human body operates with varying levels of pH, while the pH of the stomach is highly acidic; a lot of things we eat are alkaline. Our body reacts differently to every pH level.

pH Levels in Drinking Water

The pH level of drinking water is a crucial aspect of the water we drink. If we drink too much acidic or basic water, it can interfere with our digestive system and cause some other problems as well. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA has set out directions needed for pH levels and contaminants as well. It says that if your water has a pH of 6.5-8.5, it is fit and healthy to drink.

Important Facts related to Drinking Water pH

• Freshwater, across the world, has different pH. It depends upon the source of water, climatic conditions, human interaction with the environment, and natural processes.
• Highly alkaline water has an unpleasant taste and smell. Alkaline water can also damage your plumbing fixtures as it can speed up the erosion process.
• Water having pH less than 6 is considered to be highly acidic; it happens due to the presence of pollutants in water.
• Changes in pH can happen due to the presence of heavy metals and chemicals in the water. There are a lot of water filters available which can help you get rid of heavy metals in water.
• The federal government, EPA, and state authorities instruct the municipal water treatment plants to check the pH of water regularly. If it falls in an unsafe range, they are advised to treat it accordingly and make it fit for consumption.
• EPA states that drinking excessive amounts of too much acidic or alkaline water can be harmful to your health. It happens because your body fails to accommodate too much acidic or basic water influx, and it may harm your vital organs. Each organ needs a specific pH to operate, and changes in it can hurt them.
• High pH water is hard; it does not cause any severe health problems. However, it can seriously damage your appliance, result in scale buildup, and you are unable to foam lather while showering with hard water.
• You do not need to get help from anyone to test the pH of your tap water. pH testing strips are available online and in chemical supplies shops. You can also get a digital water meter, but that will be a bit costly. All you need to do is dip the strip in a glass of tap water, and it will show results in a couple of minutes. Make sure that you read the instructions written on the packing, as some strips have a different working mechanism. If the pH of water is in the prescribed range, there is nothing to worry about.

The pH of Some Common Drinking Water Types

The following table shows the approximate pH of major drinking water sources:

Alkaline Water: The New Craze

There is a buzz going on that adding a little alkalinity in your drinking water makes it healthy. There are various ways to get alkaline water. You can make alkaline water through water ionizers (electric machine to make alkaline water), ionized water filters (filter the water and make it alkaline), and adding a little baking soda in water or using pH drops to raise the pH of water. You can get health benefits like better skin and hair, help in weight loss, alkaline water acts as an anti-aging cream, aids digestion, and is rumored to prevent the growth of cancerous cells. It is also an excellent source of detoxification and giving an immunity boost to your body.

Please keep in mind that you must only drink one glass or a couple of glasses of alkaline water in a day. Drinking excessive amounts of alkaline water can cause digestion problems and muscle pain.

Final Word