What Is Acidic Water?

Water is considered to be acidic when the pH is less than 7.0. As rain falls from the sky, it picks up carbon dioxide, which in turns creates carbonic acid – otherwise known as ‘acid rain’. This acidic water slowly percolates down through the soil, eventually becoming groundwater. Because many of the wells on Delmarva are shallow (less than 90 feet), the groundwater doesn’t pass through a sufficient amount of minerals (limestone) in order to become naturally neutralized. It’s common for wells on Delmarva to have a pH as low as 5.0, which is 100 times more aggressive than a neutral pH of 7.0 thus resulting in acidic well water.

What are the Effects of Acidic Water?

Acidic water poses potential threats to you, your family, and your appliances. Some of the possible side effects of acidic water are:

• Exposure to metals
• Damage to your teeth
• Damage to plumbing system/appliances
• Potential health issues

Do I have acidic water?

If you have copper plumbing, you may notice some blue/green staining and or discoloration on fixtures. Even if you don’t have copper pipes, you may notice your water heater (tank less water heaters are particularly susceptible) and fixtures don’t seem to last very long before springing leaks.

Another effect of acidic water is you will also notice that your water and food have a bitter taste. The metallic taste stems from the build-up of chemicals that erode metal from your pipes. As the acidic well water eats into your pipes, the metal ends up in your water.

If you start to see any of these signs, it is important to get your water tested. At Delmarva Water Solutions, we provide professional water acidity tests throughout the Delmarva Peninsula.

How can I correct acidic water?

In most cases, Delmarva Water Solutions can easily raise your water’s pH to a non-corrosive level with our acid neutralizers for well water:
ETF2300PF12 or our DWS-1 Feeder System

Contact us for more information about our acidic water treatment options!