kt5000
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Water treatment
Does anybody know what chemicals are commonly used to treat drinking water on a utility scale? I normally wouldn't bring a gardening question to this
board, but this concerns treatment chemicals. 
I've noticed plants grow very poorly on our public water. Neighbors have the same problem. Plants grow, but not very large, fruits/veggies are
undersized, and some leaves brown and die prematurely. A local shop mentioned my water company has a reputation for killing plants. I'm wondering if
it's a treatment chemical causing the issue.
What chemicals are commonly used? I'm going to test for chlorine and chloroamine. Not sure what else to look for..
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Oscilllator
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Errr, if your water is indeed doing that to your plants, then it begs the question what is it doing to you?
I don't think it's very likely that the water is the problem here. Chlorines and chloramines are only ever present in very dilute solutions, and I
think that they would react with various chemicals in the soil to form harmless byproducts (chloride, mostly) fairly quickly. It seems more likely
that the soil is the culprit here, since it is known that soil quality can effect crop quality.
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hissingnoise
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| Quote: | | I've noticed plants grow very poorly on our public water. |
Check the water's pH ─ it may be too high for optimal plant growth.
Most plants (including cannabis) like their water slightly on the acid side!
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AJKOER
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Chlorine/hypochlorites are among tbe most popular chlorinating agents. In more recent years with a shift in the water table, we are witnessing an
increase in nitrate level in the water supply. The combination of the two coupled with sunlight and time will also increase the formation of
chlorates.
Given that NaClO3 is used as a weed killer, and perhaps, now since chlorates are potentially at higher levels in your drinking water (with god only
knows what else), perhaps it just isn't compatible any more with your type of plant.
Maybe indeed your plant is dying to telling you something about your water, like don't drink it (but serving it up to your in-laws is still legal).
[Edited on 24-9-2014 by AJKOER]
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Fantasma4500
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have you tried other water, perhaps its the environment, hearing alot of people having trouble growing anything, in several countries.. perhaps take a
soil sample and send to an independent lab
may very likely be some toxic shit in the ground
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blogfast25
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Indeed, my question would be apart from worrying about the water, how about the soil? The soil doesn't have to be toxic or poisonous at all but of
course it's well known and understood that certain types of plants thrive in certain types of soil and not in others...
[Edited on 24-9-2014 by blogfast25]
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chemrox
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Most public water supplies are regularly tested and the data are available when you know where to look or whom to ask. Check for B as well as halogen
treatment, pH and hardness. B is a big plant killer.
"When you let the dumbasses vote you end up with populism followed by autocracy and getting back is a bitch." Plato (sort of)
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gregxy
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Where I live (south west US) the water tastes aweful.
The PH tests to be 8.5
However if I grow plants in the rock-wool blocks and use tap water
along with a chemical fertilizer my plants grow great.
Trying to grow them in the ground does not work nearly as well.
It also depends on what type of plants. Some are very sensitive,
but they all do better in the rock-wool.
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kt5000
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Quote: Originally posted by Antiswat  | have you tried other water, perhaps its the environment, hearing alot of people having trouble growing anything, in several countries.. perhaps take a
soil sample and send to an independent lab
may very likely be some toxic shit in the ground |
These were grown in buckets filled with a mix of store-bought topsoil and compost. The soil should have been great. I was reading up on chloramine,
and it suggested that chloramine was mostly neutralized by minerals in the ground, but may not be neutralized well enough in potted plants. We were
growing tomatoes, mostly, and the growth looked badly stunted. That same article suggested treating tap water with a small amount of crushed vitamin
C tablets, so I'm going to try that in the spring and compare against a couple of control pots.
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blogfast25
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| Quote: Originally posted by kt5000 | | That same article suggested treating tap water with a small amount of crushed vitamin C tablets, so I'm going to try that in the spring and compare
against a couple of control pots. |
Try it by all means but it sound like an urban myth put out by people who conflate all kinds of things.
If you really are concerned about that water, have it analysed by a competent institute.
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hyfalcon
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If you grow in containers, always buy a soil mix designed for container growing. Don't try to mix one yourself unless you know everything it takes to
make a good container mix. Pro-mix BX with mitochondria is a good one. You can add organic fertilizer and mix it up well. Make sure your soil mix
stays moist in the heat of summer. Containers can dry up and kill your roots if you're not careful and keep an even amount of moisture in your
containers. Of course, water needs are plant specific.
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Oxirane
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Depending on where you live, the water may contain trace amounts of chlorine in chlorites. Hypochlorite is used in water desinfection in some areas,
and it will kill most bacteria even in trace amounts (like 0.0xx% concentration), and it will certainly hinder any growth attempts.
But most water systems do not use chlorine, unless there is some maintenance going on, like leaks in the lines, detected contamination, etc. They use
UVC packs and slow sand filtering to do the main water purification.
After these, the water pH plays a significant role. Some areas water may be surprisingly basic, even up to pH9.5, whereas many plants (like cannabis
and chili, just a thought..), like pH levels between 5 and 6. Water hardness is also another factor. You can very easily lower the water pH by adding
acid(I have always used diluted sulfuric acid and a pipette, you'll only need few drops, stir for a while and then measure it). This is for
hydrophonic growing, soil growing is another business, but the same applies on irrigation water too.
Since some hydrophonic fertilizers contain nitric acid(which may form nitrates with other liquid fert. compounds), it may lower the pH on it's own, so
do your tests. 
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pneumatician
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leave water for some days in an open container before use.
get rain water, if legal.
choose other plant tomatoes. go to a local farmer and ask what toma. is growing.
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