Many things can affect the quality of your drinking water, including where it’s sourced from, the condition of your pipes, and how it’s filtered. Another sneaky factor that can impact the state of your H20 is your water pH level.
You’ve probably heard about the pH scale before—maybe from researching hydrogen water versus alkaline water or talking about the importance of balanced pH levels in the body with a health-conscious friend. So what role does pH play in relation to water quality and safety?
This article covers everything you need to know about your water pH level and why it matters, the ideal pH for drinking water, how to test your water’s pH, and the best way to optimize your water’s pH levels.
What is pH?
pH stands for “potential of hydrogen” and measures how acidic or alkaline a solution is. The pH scale ranges from 0-14:
- Acidic water has a pH lower than 7
- Alkaline water has a pH of 8 or higher
- Pure water has a neutral pH of 7
For context, vinegar is super-acidic with a pH of 2, while household bleach is highly alkaline with a pH of 13. pH is also a good indicator of soft or hard water, with samples clocking in at under 6.5 and over 8.5, respectively.
What is the Best pH Level for Drinking Water?
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that drinking water have a pH level between 6.5 and 8.5. However, it’s important to note this recommendation isn’t so much for health reasons as it is to maximize drinking water safety and quality. Within this range, corrosion is minimized and water treatments are at their most effective.
If you want maximum health benefits from your drinking water, ionized alkaline water with a pH of 9.5 is the best pH level. Premium ionized alkaline water, like the water produced by Tyent water ionizers, helps the body maintain an ideal pH-balanced environment. It’s also packed with molecular hydrogen, which is known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
What might this mean for your health? Among other things, drinking Tyent water can help to:
- Boost your immune system
- Increase your energy levels
- Improve focus and concentration
- Protect against signs of aging
- Promote better sleep
And all at the touch of a button!
Explore Tyent’s water ionizers
Why Do Water pH Levels Matter?
Keeping tabs on your water pH level is important because it can say a lot about the quality and safety of your water. Water with a low pH can be corrosive, signaling it could be contaminated with heavy metals and unsafe to drink. On the flipside, water with a high pH can reduce the effectiveness of water treatment methods and lead to potential health risks like skin irritation, gastrointestinal illnesses, and hepatitis A.
pH also plays a crucial role in biological processes, and even slight changes to pH levels in the body can impact your health. The human body requires a natural pH level of 7.4 in order to function optimally. Every time we disrupt this balance by eating or drinking something that’s too acidic (a common theme in most American diets), the body has to work overtime to restore it.
Tyent allows you to generate water at more pH levels than any other ionizer, and without the use of chemicals or additives. With every sip of water you drink, pot of water you cook with, and batch of veggies you clean, you can trust that you’re using the cleanest, safest water that’s at the right pH level.
This Tyent water ionizer review will help you pick out the best model for your day-to-day needs.
How pH Affects Drinking Water
When your drinking water pH level lands on the higher or lower ends of the pH scale, this can affect the quality of your drinking water in a few different ways.
How it Looks
At extreme levels, pH can affect how your drinking water looks, including its color and clarity. Cloudy water doesn’t necessarily indicate a health concern, but the particles that make it cloudy can provide food and shelter for illness-causing pathogens.
Meanwhile, drinking water that’s more alkaline can look carbonated, like it’s fizzing in your glass.
Taste
A low water pH level (below pH 6.5) can cause your water to take on a sour or metallic taste. At a water pH level above 8.5, your H20 can taste bitter or like baking soda, and feel as if it’s coating your mouth.
Safety
pH is one of the factors that causes water to be more or less corrosive. When your water pH level is under 6.5 or above 8.5, this increases its corrosive potential (especially when combined with other factors, like temperature, oxygen concentration, and electrical conductivity).
Higher corrosiveness causes metal ions to leach into water, such as copper and lead. Copper contamination can cause gastrointestinal problems in the short-term and damage the liver and kidneys over time, while lead contamination can trigger high blood pressure and kidney problems.
Disinfection Efficiency
Chlorine is the most common water disinfection agent used worldwide and its germ-killing power varies with the water’s pH level. As water pH goes up, chlorine’s ability to kill germs goes down. That’s why the World Health Organization recommends a drinking water pH level of below 8 for effective chlorination—above that, and its efficacy plummets.
Ideal pH Levels for Different Types of Water
Both natural and man-made processes can affect water pH levels, such as where it’s sourced from and how it’s made. It’s not an exact science, but these are considered the ideal pH ranges for each type of water:
- Tap water: pH 6.5 – 8.5
- Distilled water: pH 5.8 – 7
- Bottled water: pH 5 – 10
- Ocean water: pH 8 – 8.1
- Sparkling water: pH 4.5 – 6
- Mineral water: pH 6.5 – 8.5
- Spring water: pH 6.5 – 8.5
- Artesian water: pH 6.5 – 8.5
- Alkaline ionized hydrogen water: 8 – 9.5
- Alkaline water: pH 8 – 9.5
- Acid rain: pH 4 – 4.4
How to Test Water pH Levels at Home
There are a few convenient ways to test water pH levels at home, starting with a litmus paper test. The process involves dipping a litmus paper strip into your water until it changes color, then comparing it against a provided color scale. The color of the strip provides a rough estimate of your water pH level.
You can also use a digital water meter—just dip the meter into a sample of your drinking water and receive a pH reading a few moments later.
While these methods are super-convenient, they’re not as comprehensive as a professional water test. You won’t get in-depth information about other potential water issues or specific guidance on how to improve the quality of your water.
You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on water testing, either. You can contact Tyent to find out what’s in your water for free, no strings attached. Tyent has water quality data available for every major municipality in the country, and can give you the contents of your water within hours.
Get your free water report today!
How to Improve Your Water pH Level
Hands down, the best way to improve your water pH level is to invest in a Tyent water ionizer.
Tyent water ionizers are the best water ionizers available, providing you with easy access to pH-optimized water at the touch of a button. In addition to Tyent’s ultra-plus filtration, which uses a .01 micron filtration level (the same as what’s used in kidney dialysis machines!), a variety of pre-filters are available to improve the quality of your source water.
The water you drink from a Tyent water ionizer isn’t just pH-optimized, but packed with molecular hydrogen, making it antioxidant-rich. From more energy to immune support to free radical protection, the potential health benefits of hydrogen water are profound. (Check out thousands of peer-reviewed scientific articles to see for yourself.)
The best part? Tyent allows you to produce water at more pH levels than any other ionizer, including those perfect for producing Beauty Water and non-toxic household cleaners. Unlike other ionizers that require chemicals to achieve high and low pH levels, Tyent ionizers make it happen chemical-free.
Learn More About Water pH Levels
Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about water pH levels.
Is a pH of 9.5 good for water?
Water that has a pH greater than 8 can reduce the effectiveness of water treatments, making it more difficult to disinfect. An elevated pH can also lead to calcium and magnesium carbonate buildup in your pipes, which can corrode pipes and leach metals into your water.
But if your water has a pH of 9.5 because it’s been filtered, ionized, and dispensed from a Tyent water ionizer, then you can trust you’re drinking the cleanest and healthiest water possible.
What is a safe level of pH in water?
Water pH isn’t a quality that’s regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Still, the EPA recommends that water supplies should fall between 6.5 and 8.5 pH.
Acidic water (lower than 6.5) can cause metals from pipes and plumbing fixtures to leach into your water and make it unsafe to drink. On the flipside, alkaline water (higher than 8.5) can interfere with how effective water treatment processes are, so your water might not be properly disinfected.
Water with a very low or high pH can also be a sign of chemical or heavy metal pollution.
What is the best pH for water quality?
According to the World Health Organization, the best pH for water quality is between 6.5 and 8.5. Water that’s more acidic (less than 6.5) can take on a sour or metallic taste, while water that’s more alkaline (8.5 and higher) can taste bitter and feel like it’s coating your mouth.
At extreme levels, pH can also affect how your water looks, including its color and clarity. Cloudy water isn’t necessarily unsafe, but water that tastes and looks unpleasant can deter you from drinking enough water in order to stay hydrated.
Investing in a Tyent water ionizer means never having to settle. Whether neutral, alkaline or hydrogen water is your go-to, you can optimize the pH to your liking and enjoy the cleanest, purest, best-tasting water.
Achieve the Optimal Water pH Level at Home
pH is an important factor in determining the quality and safety of your drinking water. Water straight from your tap that’s too acidic or alkaline can indicate an underlying problem, such as corrosion or contamination. Adjusting the pH of your water with a water ionizer, however, can be a game-changer for your health.
For clean, safe water that’s pH-optimized for all your needs, a Tyent water ionizer is a must. The best first step? Find out what’s in your source water.
You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on water testing, either—you can contact Tyent to find out what’s in your water for free. Tyent has water quality data for every major municipality in the country, and they can give you the contents of your tap water within hours. No water sample required. No strings attached.
Ready to find out what’s in your water? Order your free water quality report today!
