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Cheaper Water for CP's

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Brolloks

Brolloks

Hi,

I just want to get a few opinions on the following:

I have been using Distilled water for all my CP's which I buy from the local Pharmacy. This unfortunately is not cost effective, so I have been looking around and I found a company that uses Reverse Osmosis to purify their water and sell it at a really attractive price.

From what I have gathered, CP's should be given water that is 50ppm or lower?

Now this company provided me with some data on their water, which is:
"From a public distribution system using reverse osmosis"
Calcium = 41.0
Magnesium = 5.1
Nitrate = 0.4
Sodium = <0.1
Sulphate = <5
pH = 6.8
Tds = <10.0

If these measurements are true, do you guys think this water can be used?

Thank you.
Regards
 
i dont see how you can have tds <10 ppm and calcium and magnesium at 46ppm. are the units all the same?
 
pebes said:
i dont see how you can have tds <10 ppm and calcium and magnesium at 46ppm. are the units all the same?
Click to expand...

The way I posted it is exactly what their data sheets specifies.
What I would like to do is get a TDS meter and test the water, but will only be able to get this at a later stage.
 
Many places have vending machines that sell RO filtered water by the gallon. WalMart is one place that often has them. Around Southern California there are usually vending machines outside the supermarkets. $0.25-0.35 a gallon depending on the location. The machines I use usually run about <=3ppm
 
keep in mind that Ca and Mg would have to have an anionic component in the water as well, most likely chloride since sulfate is <5 or maybe carbonate. that would make the TDS closer to 100ppm at minimum. worth looking into some clarification or finding a different source. you can even invest in a small RO unit to keep at home. i found one on Ebay for around $60 US about three years ago and make between 30- 100 gallons a week. it brings the cost down considerably if you can find something similar there.
 
If it is possible, have you considered getting an RO system yourself? The water is better for humans as well, and it would save you the hassle of purchasing more water whenever you run out. I use RO water on all my plants.
 
RO water is not necessarily better for humans. This type of filtration is effective if there are specific contaminants such as heavy metals present in unsafe concentrations. Ca and Mg are great for the human body as are a great number of minerals and trace elements.
 
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I can't speak for Brollocks, but in my climate it only really rains 3 months out of the year. I've been looking into building a solar water distiller for this reason.
 
Not a Number said:
We had 0.01 inches of rainfall for January in Los Angeles. 3.65 and 3.68 inches in Feb and March respectively. February is our wettest month, but below average this year.

Besides collecting rain water could be infringing on water rights and thus illegal in some states or counties:
http://www.terraforums.com/forums/showthread.php/114740-What-the-heck-Illegal-to-collect-rainwater
Click to expand...
It would take a huge pair of bright shiny ones for someone else to claim a right to rain which falls on my property. Any place which is governed by folks whose understanding of rights is that skewed isn't fit for human habitation anyway.
 
I feel I should mention that I collected and used water from a dehumidifier in the basement of the last place I lived for more than a year with little or no adverse effects on my sundew collection. Never had it tested though so try it at your own risk.
 
Thanks for all the input.

I stay in South Africa so don't have access to wall-mart.
I have been thinking of getting an RO system but they are quite expensive here.
The rain season has stopped here and will only start again in about 6 Month or so.

If I got a TDS meter and tested the water and got a reading of 50ppm or lower, would this be safe to use?

Thanks.
 
Brolloks said:
Thanks for all the input.

I stay in South Africa so don't have access to wall-mart.
I have been thinking of getting an RO system but they are quite expensive here.
The rain season has stopped here and will only start again in about 6 Month or so.

If I got a TDS meter and tested the water and got a reading of 50ppm or lower, would this be safe to use?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

That is generally accepted as the safe level for CPs, so I think it would be okay.
 
I have found water vending machines very inconsistent. I tested from a variety of vendors and got wacky readings. I would encourage you to test before you use. Your results will vary depending how how often they clean and change filters.
I've bought water on a number of occasions and tossed it out after testing it at home.

The cleanest ones seem to be at health food stores.
 
I use rainwater and I filter it with a coffee filter. I bottle it up so it doesn't stay outside. This way it keeps it from evaporating or collecting insects.Sometimes I'll mix it with my tap water (which has around 100ppm maximum) to conserve some for later. Keep in mind I only have Nepenthes and I thoroughly drench it every other watering.
 
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