I know youre not supposed to water with tap water because it causes build up of all the impuritites in the water. But will watering organics with tap water kill of microbes? Im not talking about the whole grow, just watering with tap once or twice. I ran out of distilled and was really tired and didnt feel like going to the store, so I just gave her some tap water. Shes looking pretty crappy, but thats because its the end of the grow. Im just curious if I did any harm. Thanks fellers!
While I do have a deep artesian 400' well I've been using straight tap water for years and I'm pretty sure many others here do as well. The big no-no is that if you live in a city/town and have chlorine in your water then the chlorine must be dissipated prior to use but that's about it as far as I know... You buy the water you use in your garden? J
Reverse osmosis unit is what you need 160 bucks for my 100gpd unit. Best thing to spend your money onwhen growing.
My water is super hard...so while I can get rid of the chlorine, the calcium content is off the charts along with other additives that jack up my plants. I get 10 gallons of RO water for $1 from a water machine near my house and its been a good deal for a long time now. Only thing is that RO wont have have some of the good things for plants that tap does but if your soil is up to par, you wont have to worry bout that too much IMO. That being said, there are some blades here who use tap water with no issue at all as long as the chlorine is taken care of (not hard to do). I would suggest getting your water report and find out whats in it. If its not too bad, tap can be a good way for you to go.
If you have decent Wal-Mart near you go buy 6 gallons of distilled water and then take those back by the bottled 2 liters in our store and just refill them for $0.37. Maybe buy one to start and check the PH with a strip.
I honestly think that it all boils down to your location which is why it would be good to know your water report readings. Its free and you are entitled to it. Could save you alot of time and money. My water report lists our radation levels as "safe" . By whose standard??? Other places dont have to worry about that though. NOOB187 (amongst others) uses tap for his grow and his pics speak for themselves...no bad effects at all. Its up to you .
I dont know about Brita being used but I have seen some growers using those cartridge filters that are found in the box stores. You can attach them to your hose and they filter you water. They range from $7-$8 up to as much as $50.
In The Garden told me tap water is fine, just leave it sit out over night to get out and any possible chlorine!
This is all fine and good if you have just chlorine but most municipalities use chloramine now which cant be bubbled off or dissapated. You have to carbon filter it or use an ro unit.
Sounds great, but what about the other additives in tap water? Is there fluoride in it too? What is in our drinking water? To clarify, this is a copy and paste from the link you will see in this article. az \t Drinking water, like every other substance, contains small amounts of bacteria. Most of these bacteria are common ones and they are generally not harmful. Chlorine is usually added to drinking water to prevent bacterial growth while the water streams through pipelines. This is why drinking water also contains minimal amounts of chlorine. Water mostly consists of minerals and other inorganic compounds, such as calcium. If you want to find out what substances your tap water consists of and whether it is totally safe to drink you can have a specialized agency check it out for you. Read more: Drinking Water FAQ 1. What dangers can there be in drinking water? There are several problems that can endanger the quality of drinking water. A number of these problems are summed up here. Someone can detect coliform bacteria in drinking water. Coliform bacteria are a group of microrganisms that are normally found in the intestinal tract of humans and other warm-blooded animals, and in surface water. When these organisms are detected in drinking water this suggests contamination from a subsurface source such as barnyard run-off. The presence of these bacteria indicates that disease-causing microrganisms, known as pathogens, may enter the drinking water supply in the same way if one does not take preventive action. Drinking water should be free from coliform. Yeasts and viruses can also endanger the quality of drinking water. They are microbial contaminants that are usually found in surface water. Examples are Giardia and Cryptosporidium. Giardia is a single cell organism that causes gastrointestinal symptoms. Cryptosporidium is a parasite that is considered to be one of the most significant causes of diarrhoeal disease in humans. In individuals with a normal immune system the disease lasts for several days causing diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach cramps and fever. People with weakened immune systems can suffer from far worse symptoms, caused by cryptosporidium, such as cholera-like illnesses. Nitrate in drinking water can cause cyanosis, a reduction of the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood. This is particularly dangerous to infants under six months of age. Lead can enter the water supply as it leaches from copper pipelines. As the water streams through the pipes, small amounts of lead will dissolve in the water, so that it becomes contaminated. Lead is a toxic substance that can be quickly absorbed in the human systems, particularly those of small children. It causes lead poisoning. Legionella is a bacterium that grows rapidly when water is maintained at a temperature between 30 and 40 degrees for a longer period of time. This bacterium can be inhaled when water evaporates as it enters the human body with aerosols. The bacteria can cause a sort of flue, known as Pontiac fever, but it can also cause the more serious deathly illness known as legionellosis. Read more: Drinking Water FAQ
Idk I've been told tap waters fine, just leave it out over night haha. Unless your water taste like the stuff in jail I think you're good. Fuck that city shit. Skunky
You folks that think that it is such a sin to use tap water had ought to give this a read. Is America's $8 Billion Bottled Water Industry a Fraud MGB
You didn't need to read it... Thanks MGB. This website is about education and I'm glad we can have intelligent discussions. J