How to Alkalinize Your Water

Although water is clear, it can have different pH levels.

The difference between alkaline water and acidic water is the pH level. While distilled water has a neutral pH of 7, alkaline water contains a pH above 7 and acidic water contains a pH below 7. Alkalinized water is suggested to be better for your health than acidic water. Alkalinize your water with a few easy steps. All you need are a few items from your local hardware store to improve the quality of your water.

Things You'll Need

• Litmus paper
• Liquid container
• Soda ash

Instructions

1. Pour one cup of water into a cup. Use an eye dropper to extract a water sample.

2. Test the pH of your water source. Squeeze a drop of the water sample onto litmus paper. Check the results of the litmus test.

3. Pour approximately 1 gallon of water into a container. If your water has a pH below pH 7, add one cup of soda ash per gallon of water.

4. Shake the container to mix the soda ash with the water. Continue shaking until the soda ash is not visible.

5. Test the pH level using litmus paper. If the water has a pH below pH 7, repeat Step 1 until the pH level is slightly above pH 7.

6. Pour approximately 1 gallon of water into a container. If your water has a pH above pH 7, it is already alkalinized.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure the pH of the water is less than pH 8 or more than pH 6 before drinking it. If the acidity or alkalinity of the water is too high or low, it is dangerous to drink.

References

• North Carolina State University; Home Drinking Water Treatment Systems; Glenda M. Herman, et al.
• Alkaline: Alkaline Water
• University of Arizona; Testing Your Water; J.F. Artiola, et al.; 2004

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish