Rain Water pH Test: Understanding Your Tank Water Content

In this article, we will cover everything you need to know when it comes to rainwater. We will also show you how to test the pH of rain water alongside the risks associated with directly consuming water from a rainwater tank. 

In Australia, we have rainwater that lands on the roofs of sheds, travels down the gutters, through the pipes and into the water tank.

This water, which is controlled by the sun, is evaporated from the ocean or the land, hits the clouds, creates rain, then drops on top of the roof. This is called immature water.

Mature water is rainwater at the end of its cycle. It has landed on the ground at an acid pH of about 6.

The water soaks into the earth and picks up minerals. Water molecules remember everything they ever come in contact with, in their existence.

Once it filters through the ground, it will eventually resurface and end up coming out of a spring. That's what we should be consuming — beautiful spring water! Clean, healthy, full of minerals and with the right pH level.

With rainwater tank water, we have trapped the water prematurely. It hasn't gone through the earth, so it's not ready for us to drink yet.

In this case, the government hasn't got their hands on it, so it’s not full of chlorine and fluoride. Moreover, it’s not contaminated by urban living and city corporations.

Afterwards, we can capture it on the roof and funnel it into a tank. The rainwater tank shown in the video holds water at about 5.5 pH, which is too acidic for people to drink regularly.

It's acidic. The pH of rain water is usually somewhere between 5 and 6.5 pH, at the absolute best.

If you store your water in a concrete tank, the lime will leech out of the walls of the concrete tank and elevate the pH of the water.

If you do a pH test, the rain water pH level will probably be 7, so it’s getting back to neutral. The lime leaching out of the concrete will make the water neutral.

As human beings, we need to be consuming water at a pH level of 7, so it makes sense that the water flowing through the home should be at a pH level of 7.

If you see green/blue staining on your basin, that means acidic water is going through a copper pipe, and it's eating the soluble copper away — that's what the green colour on your basin is.

The pH level of normal rainwater is typically 5.5 to 6. If you’re using a concrete tank, the rainwater pH value is likely 7, so you pass this test.

When rainwater is stored in an AquaPlate tank (steel on the outside, plastic on the inside), or in tanks made of fibreglass, poly or large steel liners, there’s nothing in those materials that changes the water or adds minerals to raise the pH—so the water will remain acidic.

When you consume acidic water, the water can take up to three weeks to go through your body. While the water is travelling through your body, your body works very hard to bring it back to a pH level of 7. This process can strip your body of precious minerals and leave you feeling less than optimal for weeks/months, or even years.

Metals and minerals present in acidic water can include iron, copper, manganese and zinc. This is due to them being dissolved in your water as result of touching copper pipes, your roof or gutters. 

Exposure to too much of these metals may lead to illness and poisoning. Acidic water can also have a metallic and unsavoury taste, which isn’t exactly what you want from the water you drink.

Acidic water can accelerate the corrosion of your teeth and damage the gums.

Elevated levels of metal contaminants found in acidic water can cause plenty of health issues that could prove fatal or debilitating for children. Vomiting, diarrhoea, kidney disease, liver disease, stomach cramps and nausea are among the leading health issues caused by the consumption of acidic water.

Due to the high acidic level in the water, plumbing can get damaged and corroded. It can even dissolve the copper right off the pipes.

Calcium is important for the ongoing nourishment of your bones. But when you consume acidic water, your body has a reduced capacity to absorb calcium efficiently. 

The leaching of metals from acidic water often leads to a gastrointestinal upset. Whenever you are overexposed to zinc residue from pipes, you can get nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting. You can also get these symptoms because of overexposure to copper.

When large water bodies have a pH level that is too high or too low, contaminants can increase. This increase in contaminants can lead to disease-causing bacteria, parasites and elevated ammonia levels.

Prolonged consumption of acidic water can lead to common health issues, including gout or arthritis, to name a few.

The best course of action to treat acidic water is to use a Whole House Rain Water Tank Filter System with Ultraviolet Light & Positive Charged Water Magnet and a Whole House pH Elevation System.

A rain water filter will treat bugs, bacteria and other microscopic organisms, but it won’t solve acidic water.

There are two different types of water filters: gravity-fed and pump-fed. So be sure to talk to us about what your setup is.

Once the water is in the house, we recommend an under sink water filter at the very least to remove the bugs, in the off chance your UV light stops working due to an electrical short, blown bulb or other power issues.

A pH elevation system will solve the problem of acidic water by adding mineral to the water and elevating the pH.

If you’ve got a concrete tank, you will not need a pH elevation vessel, but we highly recommend at least a Twin Rain Water Filter to take care of the bugs and bacteria.

If you have steel, plastic, colourbond or anything other than concrete, then the water will not interact with the tank and will remain acidic. In this case, we recommend a pH elevation system.

Before you decide what your complete home setup should be, you need to test the water in your tank.

To find out the pH level of your rain water, you can use a pH test kit.

Simply run 15 millilitres into the pH tester, and consult the colour chart to get a reading. You’re looking for a pH minimum of 7 to be able to drink the water.

IF YOUR WATER IS UNDER 7 PH, ADD MINERAL!

Once there is mineral added to the water, it’s good to drink, your appliances will last longer and the pipework in your home will love you for it.

If you have purchased any of the products mentioned in this article and require any further assistance with their installation, please contact us.