Originally posted in Linkedin.

We have been asked many times to promote the consumption of alkaline water and water ionizers and in a few cases we have been asked to promote the use of the terms Clustered Water, Structure Altered Water, Magnetic Water, Ionized Water, and even Electrolyzed Water. In all cases, we have not supported the uses of these terms or promoted the use of any specific water treatment system for any health or water treatment benefits, but we believe this comes down to personal preference.

For the record, we have effectively used electrolysis to treat water, but it was not drinking water we were treating. In general most relatively pure drinking waters do not have enough total dissolved solids to make the use of electrolysis feasible or effective. The water we treated was a combination of natural connate water, saline water, flowback water, production brine water from a natural gas well, acidic and non-acidic mine drainage, or water associated with pig manure waste. During the process, we created hydrogen gas and chlorine gas and we did create a change in the water quality, but the primary route was by facilitating the creation of metal oxides using the chlorine gas as an oxidizing agent and causing a pH change within that solution that caused hydroxide particles to form and settle out of solution.

Note: One of my favorite websites that I believe I bookmarked over 20 years ago is Water Related Pseudoscience (B.A. Biochemistry, University of California, BerkeleyPh.D. Physical Chemistry, University of British Columbia   (SFU Chemistry faculty: 1965-1999)).

Therefore, we are going to focus on alkaline water.

Alkaline water is slightly less acidic than regular drinking water and contains alkaline minerals with a pH > 7.  Alkaline water has a higher pH level than most tap water and well water sources that are used for drinking water. In fact, in Pennsylvania, a primary problem with well water is that water is acidic and corrosive to the piping and it is recommended that a whole-house water treatment system a neutralizer be installed. Most tap water has a pH from about 6.5 to 7.5, but alkaline water may range from 8 to 9. Alkaline water tends to have a higher alkalinity and mineral content that includes calcium and magnesium as the dominant positive cations, but in some cases a natural water may be high in sodium or potassium.   As the pH of the water increases, the redox potential (Eh) of the water becomes more negative, but the degree of change is not just a function of the pH it depends on the water ionic chemistry.

In drinking water, “redox potential is a measure of the tendency of the solution to either gain or lose electrons in a reaction. A solution with a higher (more positive) reduction potential than some other molecule will have a tendency to gain electrons from this molecule (i.e. to be reduced by oxidizing this other molecule) and a solution with a lower (more negative) reduction potential will have a tendency to lose electrons to other substances (i.e. to be oxidized by reducing the other substance).” (Source: Wikipedia)  The redox potential of the water can be measured using an 0xidation‐Reduction Potential  (ORP) sensor.  The Eh of the water is related to the ORP measurement based on the type of sensors used in the ORP meter.

0xidation‐Reduction Potential (ORP) is a measurement  of the relative oxidizing or reducing condition of water and is typically monitored using a handheld voltage meter that measures the electrical potential between a platinum electrode and a reference electrode.   When the ORP value is positive this indicates an oxidizing environment while a negative value would suggest a more reducing condition.  The Eh, or redox potential,  can be used to estimate the reduction potential for your drinking water.

If the sensor is made using an Ag/AgCl reference electrode with a 1 M KCl fill solution the correction factor is + 236 mv.

If the sensor is made using an Ag/AgCl reference electrode with a saturated KCl fill solution the correction factor is + 197 mv.

For example, the Orp Sensor is a platinum ‐ Ag/Ag Cl electrode where the reference electrode is filled with 1 M KCL and you get a reading on the sensor of  – 125 the actual EH of the fluid is:

-125 mv + 200 mv = 75 mv

DIY Alkaline Water systems are designed to initially provide a physical barrier to remove contaminants and purify the water to remove chlorine by-products, particles 5 micron or greater, and heavy metals.  An alkaline water system manufactured by Crystal Quest has a GAC and anionic resin to pesticides & herbicides, volatile organic compounds, pharmaceutical by-products & other inorganic substances such as petroleum byproducts. The final filter increases the calcium and magnesium content of the water and the water pH.

Alkaline Water Counter Top System

Alkaline Water Under the Counter System

There is a lot of controversy related to the consumption and use of alkaline water and ionized water.   The following is a taste of some of the available information on this topic.

We are not advocating for the consumption of either approach, but we think the user and customer should have the facts and available information and make a choice that meets there needs and their personal preferences.    The Keystone Clean Water TEAM and the Know Your H20 Team are not ADVOCATES.  We provided this information to address questions asked as part of our outreach efforts.

If you do not want to Go Bottleless and you do not want to buy distillation equipment (distiller) and filtration equipment- you may want to try " Smartwater Alkaline Water 9+ pH - Vapor Distilled Premium Water"

Water Ionizer that appears to have good reviews.

Controversy

Many health professionals say there isn’t enough research to support the health claims made by alkaline water advocates.

• A study in 2018 on mice suggested alkaline water may help reduce nonalcoholic fatty liver disease symptoms  (Source: “Effects of alkaline-electrolyzed and hydrogen-rich water, in a high-fat-diet nonalcoholic fatty liver disease mouse model”).
  
  
• A 1999 study showed an “Increased bile acid excretion and reduction of serum cholesterol after crenotherapy with salt-rich mineral water” (Source).
  
  
• A 2017 study  titled “ Natural mineral waters: chemical characteristics and health effects”, reviewed the potential health benefits and side-effects associated with the consumption of natural mineral water, Bicarbonate mineral water, Sulphate mineral waters, Chloride mineral waters, Magnesiac mineral waters, Fluorurate mineral waters, Ferrous mineral waters, and Sodium-rich mineral water (Source).
  
  
• Associations of alkaline water with metabolic risks, sleep quality, muscle strength: A cross-sectional study among postmenopausal women (2022).
  
  
• Intestinal ion regulation exhibits a daily rhythm in Gymnocypris przewalski (“Carp”) exposed to high saline and alkaline water (2022).
  
  
• Effects of alkaline-electrolyzed and hydrogen-rich water, in a high-fat-diet nonalcoholic fatty liver disease mouse model (2018).
  
  
• Comparative evaluation of alkaline ionized water and normal water on oral microbial flora: An in-vitro study (2024).
  
  
• Water Desirable for the Human Body in Terms of Oxidation-Reduction Potential (ORP) to pH Relationship (2006).  They proposed a Vital Water that had the characteristics of weakly acidic and weakly alkaline and similar to the pH of human bodily fluids.
  
  
• Mineral waters and bone health (2004) “Since potassium and bicarbonate lower renal calcium excretion, and since the latter improves calcium balance, mineral waters rich in bicarbonate and potassium have been tested. Indeed, they lowered renal calcium excretion and bone resorption in short- and medium-term trials, and they could be of particular interest in the prevention of osteoporosis in addition to calcium-rich waters.”

Drinking Alkaline Water potential side effects??

Personal - Adults get to make a choice and we all have personal preferences and slightly different sensors when it goes to the smell and taste of water.

More Blog Posts

Chlorophyll Water - New Clean Label Certification- Chlorophyll Water is a purified water beverage enhanced by nature with the addition of Chlorophyll, a key ingredient and the vital green pigment in plant life. Chlorophyll Water is a refreshing introduction to the many benefits of Chlorophyll along with the added health benefits of Vitamin A, Vitamin B12, Vitamin C and Vitamin D for enhanced hydration.

Feedback and Analysis on the Safety of Fluoride in Drinking Water -Part of the KnowYourH2O Team philosophy is adherence to the scientific method. We are open to having our existing knowledge and any information we provide examined for the benefit of improving our own knowledge and in turn sharing it with our audience.

 NSF Certifications - What does it all mean?