How important is water quality in hydroponics?
Water quality is one of many determining factors of the outcome in a hydroponics. Persistent problems in hydroponic systems are often traced back to the water supply. Water is the basic transportation system in a hydroponic systems as it dissolves and transports nutrients to plants and their root systems, so it is imperative to take the water supply quality into consideration.
The quality of your water can have a major impact upon the management of your Hydroponics system.
Tap Water
City and urban water processing centers most often use chlorination to control levels of bacteria and pathogens. If high levels of active chlorine are in the water you use to make your nutrient solution it can cause damage to crops.
The good news is chlorine is highly volatile and evaporates quickly when it comes in contact with air. You can accomplish this by placing chlorinated water in an open aerated reservoir and allowing 48 to 72 hours for the chlorine to dissipate before using it to mix up your nutrient solution.
Well or Bore Hard Water
Although well and bore waters are usually sterile when fresh, they can have high EC, contain high levels of CO2, hardness, alkalinity, color, turbidity and iron. Other ‘undesirables’ can also be present if the bore is located close to septic tanks, rubbish dumps and industry.
Hard water can also cause physical problems. High levels of iron, calcium, and lime scale among other elements begin to scale up on water pumps, tubing, heating elements, reservoirs, drip emitters, etc. This causes many problems with equipment clogging, ceasing to work, and can even cause pH problems.
Rainwater
Rainwater is the best choice, because it is filtered by nature through the water cycle’s processes of evaporation, condensation, and finally by precipitation. Rainwater is nature’s reverse osmosis water, and plants are naturally watered with it in nature.
Reverse Osmosis
Reverse osmosis, or RO, is the next best thing to rainwater. It is a water purification process that removes nearly everything from the water by running it through a specialized membrane. Using RO water allows you, the grower, to start with a blank slate to which you can add exactly what nutrients your plants need, and not worry about having minerals or bacteria that they don’t need.