pH

The pH of water is the level of its acidity or alkalinity. The pH scale is a logarithmic scale from 0 to 14 with a pH of 7 considered neutral. Anything below a pH of 7 is considered acidic and anything above a pH of 7 is considered alkaline.

• Acidic water can corrode materials it comes into contact with.
• Alkaline water can promote scale buildup on the inside of plumbing fixtures.

Hardness

Hard water is water that contains higher amounts of calcium and magnesium compounds. Hard water requires more soap when washing and can lead to deposits of calcium or magnesium on the inside of plumbing. This is especially true when water is heated, such as inside a water heater.

Scale buildup can have the beneficial affect of preventing metal constituents in plumbing such as lead and copper from leaching into water.