Acidic Water (Low pH)

acidic water (ph below 7.0) is corrosive to metal, including pipes, fittings, appliances, etc.

acidic water is commonly found in western north carolina water sources.

Symptoms of poor pH:

• ∙ plumbing leaks
• ∙ Blue/green stainiNG AND CORROSION WITH COPPER PLUMBING
  
• ∙ reddish/bROWN stainING AND CORROSION with galvanized plumbing
• ∙ ph can impact the lifespaN AND efficacy of other filtration

treatment for Acidic Water (LOW Ph):

Calcite Neutralizers are effective at raising the ph above 7.0.

Soda Ash  is used to adjust ph at the commercial/municIpal level.

further reading

pH is classified as a Secondary "aesthetic" contaminant by the EPA. The recommended limit of between 6.5 and 8.5 is based on minimizing aesthetic issues like taste and odor. Ensuring the ph is above 7.0 is recommended to prevent any damage to any metal that comes in contact with the water.

pH is determined by measuring the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution to determine how acidic or alkaline the solution is. It is a logaramitic scale from 0 to 14 and, Due to being a logaramic scale, a ph of 6.0 is ten times more acidic than a ph of 7.0.

acidic water causes accelerated corrosion to nearly all metals used in plumbing, faucets/fixtures and appliances. frequently this damage goes unnoticed until failure/leaks occur. While modern plastic piping systems (PEX, PVC, CPVC, etc.) have minimized the potential for damage from acidic water, frequently metal fittings are used to connect pipes together and are susceptible to damage from acidic water.

while acidic water is common in wells, it is almost assured with springs - due to the low mineral content in spring water.