pH is a measure of your water’s acidity. Water with elevated pH is known as Alkaline water. pH is measured on a scale from 0-14. Typical drinking water has a neutral pH of 7, and water that is considered Alkaline has a pH that ranges from 7 to 10. A variety of human and natural causes lead to changes in pH. A decrease in pH can result from acid rain or mine drainage, whereas an increase in pH can result from alkaline geologic conditions. Industrial waste, chemical run-off, and other commercial activities can also lead to very low or high pH conditions.

Total hardness is the sum of all hardness-contributing metals and minerals in your water. Mostly representative of calcium and magnesium, total hardness also includes contributions by barium, copper, zinc, iron, strontium and more. Water hardness may cause scaling and bad tasting tap water. Hardness contributes to white film on glassware and can make soap bubbles difficult to form.