/r/water

Photograph via snooOG

Devoted to the science and politics of water: aquifers, dams, hydrology, boundary disputes, peak water, riparian rights, climate change, drought & flooding, stormwater, groundwater, fish kills, fossil water, and news by the acre-foot.

Welcome to Reddit Water, founded 2008

Water is the most precious resource on Earth. It will be the most contested resource of the 21st century.

Governments, corporations and citizens are now realizing the policy battles of today will have far reaching consequences for communities, nations, political stability, economic opportunities and profits.

Topics: access, agriculture, aquifers, aquatic farming, boundary disputes, bottled water, cleanups, conservation, contamination, dams and dam removal, desalinization, dredging, drought, economics, fish kills, floods, fracking, groundwater, hydrology, hydrogeology, hydropolitics, intrusion, invasive species, irrigation, overdrafts, peak water, policy, pollution, privatization, riparian rights, river compacts, runoff, sanitation, sewage, stormwater, waste, withdrawals


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  • WaterSISWEB, community-driven water articles
  • On Water, University of California Water Resources Center Archives

Data

Support the National Forest Foundation!

Hydrology & Soil Mechanics Training from the USDA

On the Public Record's reading list for understanding California's water issues


"Whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting over." --(falsely attributed to) Mark Twain

"Water runs uphill to money." -- the "Law of Los Angeles"

"When the well's dry, we know the worth of water." --Benjamin Franklin

"We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one." --Jacques Yves Cousteau

/r/water

49,619 Subscribers

9

God I love water

3 Comments
2024/12/04
03:53 UTC

1

Best and cheapest water softener/filtration?

New poster here and new to the sub.

I have moved around quite a bit with my family and now we are Las Vegas where the water is just horrible. Typically it’s good enough to be fine without a filter/softener. I just had a salesman come by and quote us almost 10k and I just about dropped over dead.

What does everyone recommend? I am a contractor so I can install just about anything myself. The plumbing and drain is already there. Just need a rec at this point.

11 Comments
2024/12/04
00:25 UTC

1

Water taste differences/how to know or understand why we like some and not others

I know water tastes different depending on what's in it -- well water, city water, bottled water, etc. If you find yourself going "holy crap I love THIS particular water" how do you go about trying to find out why? Even if I got a print up of my city water, for example, what about it's contents is giving me clues as to why I like it? What about different bottled waters??

I guess what makes up the various "tastes" of waters and how do you hone in on ones that you will like more than others ?

For an example: I live in a WI city that just got an award for their water being one of the best tasting in the state (I agree it's amazing) but I love Core hydration water above all others. And I don't know why.

0 Comments
2024/12/03
23:57 UTC

1

CA water management questions

I’m a student in college needing some help with a assignment. I’m meant to ask these questions to people who know the water policies in California but all the water companies I contacted didn’t respond and the deadline is coming up so I’m kinda desperate. If anyone here knows about CA water management and is willing to answer some general questions about it please help me out. I just need to show I asked the questions and got responses from someone.

Here’s a Google form I made

2 Comments
2024/12/03
22:33 UTC

1

Why does my water smell/taste fishy?

Hi everyone, Sorry if this is not the right place to post I wasn’t sure where would be best. I filled up my water bottle for work before leaving the house today and now I’m realizing it smells and tastes fishy? The bottle is clean, I threw it in the dish washer last night. I use a brita to filter our tap water, which is where the water is coming from. Is my brita the problem or is it our actual water source? I haven’t asked any neighbours yet and I haven’t checked the taps as I’m still at work, just wondering if anyone has experienced this or knows why it might be happening? Thanks for any advice or tips!

2 Comments
2024/12/03
14:45 UTC

1

Fumes from countertop water distiller

Hi all. I bought my first water distiller to support my humidifier. It's a Waterwise unit, so not some cheapo thing from Amazon. The distilling itself seems fine, but there's a smell that comes out of the fan that slowly fills the whole house. My nose is probably more sensitive than most, but clearly something is going on. It's kind of like how a new heater smells when you first turn it on, but not quite the same. I even tried it with filtered water (from a ClearlyFiltered pitcher - not some Brita filter) and the smell is still there.

Has anyone experienced this with distillers before? The manufacturer claimed it's because the device is new, but I'm not buying it since I'm almost 10 cycles in at this point.

4 Comments
2024/12/03
13:16 UTC

1

Replaced universal cartridge for brita jug and not filtering properly.

I used wilko universal for years in my jug, water tasted great. Just bought a set of 3 universal filters and the water tastes like tap water. It filters through in a few mins which makes me suspicious as my wilko took 10m. Anyone had a similar problem? Or can recommend an alternative system.

1 Comment
2024/12/03
12:24 UTC

0

What is the best way to assure

That the water i drink is the most hydrating? Some waters leave you drier than before so what s the water that you can drink least of and feel most hydrated?

5 Comments
2024/12/03
04:43 UTC

0

Adter drinking water my mouth is even drier than before drinking it

It doesn’t happen all the time but sometimes (usually at home) i have a regular wet mouth but then after i drink water, my mouth actually gets drier. Why does this happen? Does it have something to do with my water filter? How can i assure i get the most hydrating water i can?

5 Comments
2024/12/03
04:41 UTC

1

Graduate Research Survey for Water Quality Monitoring Device

Hello,

I'm currently a biotech/UX Design graduate student who wants to focus on working with artificial biological spaces. I'm conducting research regarding a hypothetical device that monitors water quality and was wondering if anyone here would be interested/willing to take the survey. You can find it here.

Thanks!

0 Comments
2024/12/01
18:42 UTC

2

Best water filters/ systems for renters?

Recently had to move out of my house and am now renting. What’s the best water filtration system to use for someone who can’t install directly under the sink? Is it a RO tabletop system or maybe a Britta filter pitcher? I’m not to sure what the best option is for renters and would love to hear from anyone out there in a similar situation. Thanks!

4 Comments
2024/12/01
14:28 UTC

1

Reverse osmosis EU

Hi I'm a college student in EU looking for a good reverse osmosis filter - preferebly a mobile one (filter pitcher/jug) that doesn't need installment. What the best version I can get in Europe that won't cost me a fortune?

4 Comments
2024/12/01
10:19 UTC

2

Artificial Ground Water Recharge

Topic: Artificial Ground Water Recharge

Undergraduate
Civil engineering
Engineering Hydrology
Ground water

A research paper on the topic mentioned

We are given the topic, artificial ground water recharge, to do research on.

I would like suggestions on textbooks (mainly), and if anything else that is a source (websites, this comes to mind) of information.

I have used Google search, GOogle Scholar, Sci-Hub. These are open-source and free. However, I would like some suggestions from other students

Open to questions for clarification

2 Comments
2024/11/30
16:18 UTC

0

Fluoride & Heavy Metals or Atrizine and Pharmaceutical chemicals?

Fluoride & Heavy Metals or Atrizine and Pharmaceutical chemicals?
I have a gravity fed filter at my home and I'm unsure if I should buy the
- Doulton Ultra Fluoride which removes fluoride and heavy metals or
- the Ultra Sterasyl which removes atrazine and pharmaceutical chemicals.

or is there a filter out there that does both I can use in my apartment?

Your adivice on this would be extremely valued.

3 Comments
2024/11/30
13:51 UTC

3

From PFAS solutions to Pooph Success: Why BioLargo is Poised for Growth.

0 Comments
2024/11/30
03:47 UTC

1

Reusing dehumidifier water

Hi, we have a dehumidifier in our basement, it is a cement room that gets groundwater and rain water leaking in. The walls have a history of mold. While we work to solve this issue (likely by tearing out and rebuilding), we are getting up to 1 gallon of water a day out of the dehumidier. It seems a shame just to keep pouring it down the sink. But, I know it is not safe to drink.

Has anyone successfully reclaimed and reused dehumidifier water for any useful purpose? Right now the think I can think of is watering plants, but we have very few indoor plants, and the season where we get the most dehumidifier water (western Oregon, rains every season but summer) is the one where the outside plants can least benefit from additional water.

Thanks in advance.

5 Comments
2024/11/29
19:35 UTC

1

why RO system increases 6 ppm filtered water to 30 ppm

I recently purchased the Bluevua RO100ROPOT-Lite and was initially impressed by its sleek design. However, I quickly noticed something alarming.

The internal TDS meter on the machine reads 3 ppm, but when I tested the water myself, it measured 30 ppm. After some research, I found a blog post from the manufacturer explaining this phenomenon, which they referred to as TDS creep. While I understand that TDS creep is common in RO systems, the extent in this machine seems extreme. After sitting idle for just an hour, the first 50ml of water had a TDS of 100 ppm, despite my raw water only being 160 ppm.

To investigate further, I conducted an experiment. I fed the system filtered water with a TDS of 6 ppm and flushed the system thoroughly until the output water also measured 6 ppm, effectively eliminating any residual TDS creep from the previous water. After letting the machine sit idle for 1 hour, the TDS of the first water produced measured 20 ppm. After 3 hours, the TDS rose to 30 ppm.

How is this possible? Am I missing something? How can filtered water with an initial TDS of 6 ppm end up with a higher TDS after passing through the RO system? I haven’t added any ions back into the water. Interestingly, if I allow the system to filter over 300ml, the TDS gradually drops back to 6 ppm. Initially, I attributed this to TDS creep, but now I’m not so sure. This behavior is confusing and concerning. Can anyone explain what might be happening?

Is this just some weirdly TDS creep or internally their filter is leaking materials? This "TDS creep" thing seems very common in this machine as I saw several amazon reviews about it.

edit: what is worse, my 6ppm input water is now 90 ppm after filtering!! where are the icons from????? is the filter leaking??

2 Comments
2024/11/29
03:26 UTC

7

Thoughts on Rorra?

Just came across this brand and curious to see what the consensus is.

It looks like a new brand so I’m immediately Skeptical, but it looks like they have legit certifications for their water filter, which goes along way IMHO.

https://rorra.com

6 Comments
2024/11/28
18:11 UTC

0

does well water cause hair loss/balding

met someone the other day noticed their hair was kinda thin and then saw a bald spot. obviously i didn’t say anything we got to talking and had a conversation about showers and water for some reason and they said they have well water in their home. Kinda wondering if that contributes to the hair? Is it permanent damage will it ever grow back if that’s the case?

8 Comments
2024/11/28
17:21 UTC

12

I’m thirsty

I'm gonna go take a drink of water.

15 Comments
2024/11/28
02:10 UTC

1

Proper Sampling Technique - Prove Me Wrong

I want to know if my tap water is contaminated with lead from my utilitiy's service line, so I plan to sample and send to a lab. I understand that lead leaches out over time so you should sample in the morning, after it's been sitting stagnant in the pipes for a long time. However, this is where I don't understand typical sampling instructions.

Most sampling instructions essentially to sample the water from the first draw in the morning, but I don't see how this makes sense if I have copper pipes and new fixtures everywhere in my house downstream of my service line. Wouldn't this first draw simply get the water that's been in contact with my new, unleaded pipe, instead of the water that had intimate contact with the lead service line? I think it would make sense to run the water for a bit before sampling to flush out all the "copper pipe" volume and get to the "service line" volume.

Am I overthinking this? I just want to get the most accurate sample. Thanks in advance for your thoughts and advice!

17 Comments
2024/11/27
15:57 UTC

3

Remineralization filter from 3rd party?

I purchased an RO filter from APEC and added an remineralization filter from the same company. The filter I bought is: APEC Water Systems 10" High Purity PH+ Calcium Carbonate Alkaline Filters (3/8 Inch)

The issue is that I don't like the taste of the water. My understanding is that the remineralization filter should put taste in but it's not tasting good to me. Is it possible to buy a remineralization filter from another company to pair with my APEC RO? Or does it all need to be from the same company?

0 Comments
2024/11/27
15:21 UTC

6

Why was I a water addict??

Genuine question about something that has been confusing me for a while. I’ve lived in the Bay Area of California my entire life, for a bit I moved down to the area around LA for education purposes.

The water couldn’t be more different, Bay Area tap water is crisp and delicious to me, southern Cali water is HELL to me. It tastes chalky and dull, I assume from minerals? It definitely left residue more than Bay Area water.

I straight up would feel palpable disgust from drinking it, every day for the 3 years I spent there. I had to both ice and add lemon in addition to filtering to make it palatable to me. I cannot overstate how much I hated that water, to an extent no one I’ve met irl understands lol.

But despite that, I drank way more in southern Cali. Not a little more, significantly, insanely more. ‘Always have a cup of water on your desk’ more. In the bay, every time I come back to visit I immediately revert to being able to survive quite happily on 2-3 cups a day, southern Cali water quantity was straight up uncountable, I’d be filling my cup and emptying it all day every day. Obviously this wasn’t out of enjoyment, I actively felt more thirsty. regardless of the time of year, so it couldn’t be a heat thing.

I wish I had the ability to use just distilled water for a bit as a control to see if the amount of minerals made the difference, but I didn’t have a car so couldn’t really lug that stuff around.

Anyone know why the hell this was going on?

3 Comments
2024/11/27
01:02 UTC

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