walmart drinking water

willydriller

willydriller

Member
I recently got my PPM / EC meter and have been testing different "on the shelf" waters from retailers. The best water I found for my needs was the walmart "drinking" water. After 20 1 gal jugs, It consitantly tested at 2-3 ppm with a PH of 6.8. I tried numerous other waters and though they all came from RO processing, minerals were added (for taste according writing on the jug) and this brought the PPM to about 150. Now the "purrified" water from walmart had a 0 ppm but the PH was around 8. At .88 cents a gallon, I grabbed 10 gallons. Just an FYI.
 
Final Phase

Final Phase

Well-Known Member
I'm sure you will do well. I live in the mountains and get great water from my tap. For me it's hard enough just paying for the electric, soil, nutrients, etc. it cost from start to finish. If I had to add on an additional cost for water it would end up being too costly for me. Good growing to you!
 
Richard Drysift

Richard Drysift

Well-Known Member
Walmart water works fine - just need to add some cal mag just like any other RO water. I use the filtered water from the machine at WM sometimes & it's only like 25cent per gal if ya fill up a 5gal dispenser bottle yourself. However the absolute best water I have found to use on mj plants is plain old free rain water- just leave a tote bin or bucket out to collect it before a storm & then put a top over it to prevent bugs for laying eggs in it and/or drag it indoors. I installed a spigot in the side of my tote bin to fill up watering cans. Rain contains macronutrients, minerals, and microlife and best of all it costs ya zilch.
 
willydriller

willydriller

Member
I like "zilch". Buying water is a temp fix for me. I have a deep spring fed well and the water is awesome but the pressure tank is 30 years old and full of who knows what (some rust for sure). I am replacing pressure tank this weekend and should be on the "free water" band wagon. The walmart water will definitely do in a pinch though.
 
Richard Drysift

Richard Drysift

Well-Known Member
Final Phase said:
I'm sure you will do well. I live in the mountains and get great water from my tap. For me it's hard enough just paying for the electric, soil, nutrients, etc. it cost from start to finish. If I had to add on an additional cost for water it would end up being too costly for me. Good growing to you!
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City tap water is fine if you are using synthetic nutrients. You can dissipate most of the chlorine inherent in city tap water by leaving it exposed to the air for a day or 2 or by bubbling with an airstone but well water should be ok to use as is. All the fuss about pure water really only applies if you either have hard (salty) water that leaves scale buildup in your soil or you are trying to preserve the microlife in the soil that chlorine or chloramine decimates. My city fed tap water smells like a pool & I am growing organically which is why I go through the trouble of collecting rain- well when it finally does rain anyway lol
 
whitebb2727

whitebb2727

Well-Known Member
Seems great minds think a like. Yea I was buying Walmart machine water. I tried using tap and letting it sit but still had problems. Then said the hell with it and put up two 275 gallon food grade totes for the vegetable garden.
 
researching

researching

Well-Known Member
Find a nutrition store. If you have a natural grocers in your town they have RO water from a dispenser that is cheaper than anywhere I've seen. I switched to tap because I am lucky enough to live in an area that has amazing tap water. IIRC it's $.25/gal
 
Budzbuddha

Budzbuddha

Well-Known Member
Some get pretty decent tap . I get PH 6.8 , let a few gallons set out to disperse the chlorine and nutes drop PH to 6.3 . Most RO water needs cal mag additions sometimes if nutes can't provide enough.
 
whitebb2727

whitebb2727

Well-Known Member
jcdws602 said:
NIce! I wish I could do something like that but it would take me 10 years to fill one of those down here in PHX,Az lol......
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You would be surprised. The first rain filled them. An inch of rain on 500 square foot will give you 500 gallons. Thank you. Its mainly for the vegetable garden. Also for emergency use.
 
willydriller

willydriller

Member
just need to add some cal mag just like any other RO water
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It was my understating that using the "Lucas" formula intended to use with RO water does not mention anything about adding salt unless growing in coco. Any one have mag deficiency with RO and nutes?
 
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