Q/A #70 - Options for Distilled Water?

QUESTION:
I am having a hard time finding distilled water for my sundews. Was wondering if there is something else I can do for water that will be safe for my plants.
(Submitted in April 2020.)

RESPONSE BY JEFF DALLAS:
The general concept you should know about water is that excessive minerals in water can cause problems for carnivorous plants. It's things like calcium and magnesium but less so with iron. When mineral levels are high, water is referred to as hard water. Folks often worry about chlorine and fluoride, but those are less of an issue. 

I don't know if you checked your tap water. In some areas of the country, tap water is very low in minerals and can be safely used with carnivorous plants. Portland, Oregon, is one such city that is lucky enough to have low-mineral water. You can find information about your tap water by contacting your city's water bureau. Or you can test it yourself with a home test kit. You can find one at an aquarium store. What you're looking for is total dissolved solids (TDS). If it's 50ppm or below, the water is fine to use long-term on carnivorous plants.

If you have hard water, then you'll need to acquire distilled water, rainwater, or water purified by reverse osmosis. If you're buying water, many stores have machines that you can purchase water from if you bring your own jugs. It's usually cheaper than distilled water, and is purified by reverse osmosis. 

There is also a filter-pitcher type unit that works. It's called ZeroWater. It removes all types of contaminants from water. Just add water to the filter, and you have pure water within a matter of minutes. But it only creates it one pitcher at a time, so it's a convenient option if you have a very small collection of plants. You can find ZeroWater filters online.

Avoid carbon-filters like Brita and Pur. Carbon filters don't remove minerals, only organic matter that affect the taste of water. 

So those are options if you have trouble finding distilled water. But check your tap water first. You might be able to use it if the mineral levels are low enough.

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