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Re: High pH in processed water



     >I can't say for sure about Austin, but I did take a brief spin 
     >through "The Water Encyclopedia" and found that almost all of the US 
     >cities they list with a finished water pH greater than 9.5 use either 
     >lime softening or lime/soda softening.  The point to those processes 
     >is to force pH so high by adding lime and/or soda ash that Ca and Mg 
     >carbonates are precipitated.  The precipitate is then settled out.  
     >The process will also remove a number of heavy metals.  It also pulls 
     >out every scrap of CO2; your reareation drops the pH by bringing it 
     >back to more normal CO2 concentrations.
     >
     >I wouldn't be surprised if your water utility is trying to reaerate 
     >the water before it goes into the pipes, and just not quite getting 
     >the  job done.
     
     Thanks, Roger.
     
     All surface and ground water in central Texas is very hard, so I'm 
     sure our water utility uses this method to soften the water.  I 
     recently did some plumbing work on 15-year old pipes--there was very 
     little scale, so the method works.  However, my friends in the country 
     have horrendous scale problems using well water.
     
     If my tap water has a high pH simply because of low [CO2], then I 
     could bring the pH down by injecting CO2, which I already do, in my 
     aquarium.  This means I could use a Python to change my water directly 
     from the tap; there might be a small pH spike, but it would quickly 
     equilibrate.  If I change no more than 10-15% at a time, there 
     shouldn't be a problem with chlorine, either.
     
     I am tired of hauling 100 pounds of water from the back yard every 
     week, just to do a water change (but you should see my biceps!).  I 
     already have a Python, but I have always used it for draining, never 
     for filling.  It's time for a change.
     
     Kind regards,
     
     Mark