The biggest issue with relying on tap water is that it can often be softened or even contaminated.
Softened water is ok for human consumption. However, the amount of sodium chloride used to soften the water can cause a gradual build-up of sodium in the soil where plants are grown.
The excess sodium restricts water intake and causes various issues starting at the roots, including dehydration. Without taking samples and doing a bit of groundwork, you could be causing more harm than good by using tap water.
That’s why it becomes important to learn how to make tap water safe for plants.
Thankfully, there are a few ways that tap water can be safely altered for it to be used without any further issues.
In this article, we’ll go through some effective measures of water alteration and the basics surrounding water pH, water composition, alternative water supplies, and much more. Let’s dive in, shall we?
Table of Contents
Understanding the pH of tap water
pH (a.k.a potential of Hydrogen) is the scale measurement used to determine how acidic or basic (alkaline) a specific aqueous solution is. The scale ranges from 0-14. Any point between 0-7 is considered acidic, and 7-14 is considered basic or alkaline.
The midpoint where the scale reads 7 is neutral. Using or consuming water where the pH is too high or too low can be harmful to all lifeforms (human, animal, plant, etc.) and to any pipes or appliances it runs through.
When the pH of a plant’s water is too high, the micronutrients become less soluble and restrict the plants’ roots ability to soak them up. As a result, the plant can suffer from nutrient deficiencies, leaving them stunted.
When the plant’s water has a too low pH, heavy metals such as manganese and iron are absorbed in such a high rate that the plant becomes poisoned.
This condition is known as necrosis and can be identified by darker green leaves with either red, bronze or purple tinges.
The simplest way to test the pH levels of your tap water is by using a litmus paper test kit. They are inexpensive, easy to use, and can be picked up from any home depot or gardening/pool supplies store.
The kits come with a specially dyed strip of paper dipped into the body of water you want to test. The strips will change colors you use to compare against a chart usually provided on or in the container.
Once you have identified the pH of the water, you can use this measurement as an initial gauge to adjust it to your desired result. The pH can be adjusted by adding either lime, wood ash or a specially formulated solution to the water. These additives will help to raise the pH.
In contrast, adding sulfur, phosphoric acid or a pH-lowering solution will assist in lowering the pH. Remember that adding solid form materials to a liquid solution requires a few hours to soak in and go through a ‘steeping’ process.
Understanding the composition of tap water
It’s almost impossible to retrieve water from a tap that is considered 100% clean of hardeners, softeners, contaminants, heavy metals, etc. This is because the cost of maintaining such a high level of cleanliness would break the banks of the providers.
Every catchment, delivery and containment point would need a ridiculous amount of equipment and process to ensure it stayed flawless. Therefore, using certain additives to have the same effect is much easier and more cost effective.
Many elements can be found in the water that reaches us at the end of the line. Some are more harmful than others. Depending on what region you’re from, it’s not uncommon to find the following trace elements, contaminants and/or heavy metals in your water source:
Aluminum, ammonia, arsenic, barium, cadmium, calcium, chloramine, chlorine, chlorine dioxide, chromium, copper, fluoride, lead, nitrates, magnesium, mercury, perchlorate, radium, selenium, silver, and uranium.
Then various bacteria and viruses can also leach into water sources. Most of these can restrict the plant’s root’s ability to soak in the required nutrients. As a result, the plant’s growth is severely restricted to the point where it can die.
Not all of the above mentioned elements cause problems for plants. Measured amounts of calcium and magnesium can be quite beneficial. The biggest problem is separating the good from the bad. Therefore, it’s much better to use a water source that is filtered of anything considered harmful.
What are the Problems with Tap Water?
Clean and reliable water is one of the most important aspects in nurturing a plant, from seed to fruit or flower. For most people (not all), water is taken for granted and generally accessed via a simple household tap. The problem with this method is that A isn’t always reliable, and B isn’t always clean.
Many of these additives can cause some real damage to the growth of plants. Let’s look at a range of the ‘additives’ that are considered problematic to plants, among other life forms.
Added Chemicals
Given that tap water needs to arrive to us clean, the only way to keep it in this state is by adding certain chemicals to treat it. Once the water is filtered, it is delivered to water treatment plants that add one or multiple chemicals to ensure the highest disinfection level occurs.
Their main purpose is ensuring no parasites, bacteria, or viruses remain alive. 3 of the most commonly added treatment chemicals are chlorine, chloramine, and/or chlorine dioxide.
Contaminants
Contaminants aren’t something that’s added to the water. However, they find their way in by leaching through pipes. They are generally ingredients used to manufacture fertilizers, pesticides and any other chemicals utilized on land that surrounds the water source. Such contaminants include arsenic, copper, lead, nitrate, radon, etc.
Softened or hard water
Almost every water source has certain minerals, such as calcium and magnesium. When water is considered either hard or soft, it is generally determined by how little or little of these minerals it contains. For example, soft water will have lower amounts of these minerals than hard water.
Soft water is considered safer than hardened water for both usage and consumption. However, if the water is too soft, the excess sodium can build up around the roots of a plant, causing dehydration.
How to make tap water safe for plants?
If you’re worried about your tap water being unusable on your plants, there are some simple and more advanced ways to treat it yourself. These methods will help to make tap water much safer to use. Let’s have a look at these techniques to learn how to make tap water safe for plants in detail.
Removing chlorine and other chemicals from tap water
The main chemicals found in tap water include chlorine (as well as variations of it), chloramine and fluoride. Lower levels of chlorine or chloramine are generally pretty safe for plants, whereas higher amounts tend to kill off beneficial soil microbes.
Fluoride can be harmful regardless of the amount in the water. It affects photosynthesis by accumulating in the leaves and slowly blocking the receptors. The best way to remove chlorine and other chemicals from tap water are:
- Boiling – When subject to room temperature, the chlorine in the water will naturally slowly evaporate. Boiling the water for as little as 15 mins will speed up the evaporation/chlorine removal process. Boiling is also one of the simplest and surest processes to help kill disease-causing germs, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites.
- Use a reverse Osmosis filter – These pieces of equipment can be installed in most normal tap systems. They work by filtering out most large particles, including contaminants and sediments such as chlorine, salt, and dirt, from the water.
- Use activated charcoal – Activated charcoal is extremely effective as it removes harmful toxins from the water source without stripping it of good salts and important minerals. It’s possible to purchase filters with charcoal already installed. You can also buy the pieces of charcoal itself that can be used in a specific way that is a little more primal but still works nonetheless.
- Regardless of the method, it’s worth noting that the impurities are kept within the charcoal, which should be changed every 6-12 months to ensure that it stays effective.
- Aeration – Aeration can be utilized by setting the water storage system up in a specific way. The process is managed by allowing the water to pass large amounts of air through it and then venting the air outside and away from the source. The added air causes any dissolved gasses or contaminants to evaporate from the water, which is then vented away, leaving the water purified of these contaminants.
Letting the water sit before watering plants
If you notice that your plants are showing signs of poor growth, the issue could lie within the water. Some tap waters contain contaminants such as chlorine, which kills off beneficial soil microbes in larger amounts. If your plants don’t look as tall or strong as usual.
It can be worth letting the water you use sit for a minimum of 24 hours to allow the chlorine to dissipate. Of course, this process can be sped up by boiling the water, but the gasses in chlorine will naturally air out by themselves as it sits unused.
Watering plants with the correct amount of water
Quite often, making simple adjustments in water application can help minimize the risk of any impurities building up. Even if the tap water contains subtle amounts of contaminants, correcting both amount and frequency are surefire ways to prevent these problems from occurring.
Overwatering and underwatering are known to cause problems depending on a range of factors such as soil type, plant type, plant age, plant size, growing environment, etc.
Overwatering
Overwatering is generally the worst water mismanagement issue that can occur. Furthermore, it can be heavily compounded when the composition of the plant’s soil isn’t correctly applied. Simply put, a plant that requires adequate drainage cannot be overwatered, as the excess water will pool around the roots.
As the roots sit in the stagnant water, they will rot and slowly kill the plant from the roots up. If the plant’s soil is compact and the growing container doesn’t allow drainage, the problem will amplify, and the rotting will occur much faster.
When the water that is applied contains impurities, not only does the plant die from root rot, but it will first suffer from a build up of these impurities within the soil. The biggest issue here is when a plant is located in a garden bed; the excess impurities can affect any surrounding plants as well.
Underwatering
Underwatering is not as harmful as receiving too much water. However, the less water or the quality of water a plant receives, the greater the struggle is for the plant to grow. Water is one of the most important elements for plant growth as it helps break down nutrients and assists with photosynthesis.
The best way to determine how much water a plant requires and when is simply by looking for signs and testing the soil moisture content. It’s as easy as sticking your finger 1-2 inches down the side of the stem into the soil. Depending on the plant, some require the soil to be bone dry before adding additional water.
Others can continue to flourish with more moisture. Ensure you check how much water your plant requires before applying any water. The last thing you want is a rotting plant due to watering blind.
Monitoring the pH levels of the tap water regularly
It’s not uncommon for the pH levels of your tap water to change ever so slightly from time to time. You can use a simple litmus strip tester kit to work out whether or not you need to make any adjustments once applying the water to your plants. There may even be cases where the water requires treatment before using it.
When using water with a high pH level, the plant’s micronutrients become less soluble. This restricts the uptake of nutrients, which can make the plant suffer from deficiencies and stunt its growth.
On the other hand, low pH water makes heavy metals such as manganese and iron absorb at a higher and faster rate which poisons the plant and causes necrosis.
Once the pH levels are ascertained, you can adjust them using a few easily obtainable additives. Add lime, wood ash, or a specially formulated pH raising solution to raise the water’s pH levels.
The pH can be reduced by adding sulfur, phosphoric acid or a pH-lowering solution to the water. As mentioned, when adding solid form materials to the solution, allow at least 1-2 hours for them to ‘steep’ as it soaks in.
Some Additional Ways to Make Tap Water Safe for Plants
Aside from the previously mentioned methods, there are also some other left field ways to help make tap water safer for plant usage. These include:
Adding vinegar
Vinegar is an effective method of helping dissolve smaller amounts of calcium, magnesium, and other mineral deposits found in hard water.
Furthermore, it can assist in neutralizing bacteria, mold, and other harmful germs. Vinegar will lower the pH of the water whilst increasing its acidity.
So if the pH of your water is too high, simply adding a small amount and retesting after 15-20 mins will show a significant drop in the level.
Using hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is a known high level disinfectant. The beauty of this product is that it works extremely fast.
It breaks down into hydrogen and water forms without leaving any nasty by-products behind. This process will increase the amount of oxygen in the tap water.
The clean oxygen will then go on to break down any impurities in the water, leaving it clean and safe to use.
Alternatives to Tap Water for Houseplants
Not everyone has access to tap water. When tap water isn’t available, other alternatives can be utilized to ensure that your plants get enough water. These include:
Rainwater
Rainwater can be collected in several different ways. However, the most common method is via the roof of a house and redirected using a pipe and drain system into a catchment tank.
Tank sizes and piping systems can vary in size and intricacies. It’s not unusual to have a simple tap that releases the water for the tank.
Otherwise, you can set up a whole distribution pipeline that delivers the water directly to your plants. One problem that needs to be considered is the possibility of metals and rust that enter the tanks as the water is collected from the roof. This can be mitigated by adhering to maintenance schedules and routine inspections.
Bottled Water
Bottled water is up there as one of the safest clean water methods. They are generally sold with the guarantee to be clean and free of any impurities. The beauty of using this type of water is that they are generally cost-effective and easily available.
Distilled Water
Distilled water is another good choice of water when tap water isn’t available. However, it does come at a minor cost. Distilled water removes all impurities from the water source but, on the other hand, also removes any minerals that are considered beneficial to plants.
This means that the plants become stunted or discolored over time from the lack of nutrients. This issue can be corrected using nutrient additives, so as long as you stay on top of the plant’s feeding needs, distilled water will still be a top choice.
Aquarium Water
Surprisingly, aquarium water contains a wide range of beneficial bacteria and ammonia that help plants by working as a naturally formed fertilizer. The fertilizer is created as a by-product via fish poop and uneaten fish food particles.
The best part about using this water source as a tap alternative is that it’s extremely easy to scoop a cup here and there when required. Just remember to add new water to the tank and adjust any imbalances that may occur, so your swimming friends remain happy and healthy.
A few key additional watering tips for houseplants
Watering a houseplant should be seen as a joyous task. Here is a well-rounded list of any additional watering tips that can be applied to these plants.
- Don’t follow a strict watering schedule – It’s easy to get caught up in the finer details, like how much water a plant needs and how often they need it. However, an indoor plant should instead be routinely monitored to determine whether or not it needs moisture and how much of it. The simplest way to determine its requirements is by checking out the condition of the soil.
- Not all plants have the same water requirements, but the general rule of thumb is to ensure that the top 1-2 inches of the plants’ soil are bone dry before administering more water. The best way to test is by sticking your finger and having a good feel of the moisture content.
- Use a watering can – This shouldn’t come as a shock, but the best way to water an indoor plant is by using a watering can. The biggest benefit of doing so is that you can get the spout right into the base of the stem. At the same time, a tap or hose may be restricted in its ability to be guided into this area.
- Soak the soil – As long as the plant is sitting in a well draining pot or container, the best watering method is soaking the soil. The water should be allowed to drain out of the pot’s base drainage holes. This will ensure that the soil becomes completely moist without the water sitting stagnant for the roots to rot in.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How long should tap water sit before watering plants?
Tap water should sit for at least 24 hours before using it on your plants. This will allow any chlorine to naturally evaporate out of the water. The process can be sped up by boiling the water for 15-20 mins if required.
Is bottled water OK for plants?
Bottled water is a great alternative when other water sources may not be available or accessible. It is known to contain natural minerals which can be beneficial to the growth of plants.
How do you make tap water acidic for plants?
Tap water can be acidified by adding a small amount of vinegar. Simply add 2 tablespoons of vinegar to each gallon of water. Allow the solution at least 15 mins to settle before testing it and ascertaining whether or not it requires any more adjustments. This household staple can successfully adjust the pH in container grown plants.
Conclusion:
As we have discovered, tap water on your plants is perfectly fine as long as it is tested and treated to remove any impurities. The easiest way is using a filtration system such as reverse osmosis or activated charcoal. Remember that it’s important to take regular tests to ascertain the pH levels and adjust accordingly.
Lastly, it’s recommended to be mindful of watering practices, including frequency and amount. We hope that this guide on how to make tap water safe for plants has been helpful. You can read about similar topics here on our website. Check back again soon for more.
