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Watering with tap water

 
Leonard Morris
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It will be several months before I get a system running to pump water from my pond for irrigation. How harmful is using tap water? I’m worried the chlorine will kill a lot of the beneficial organisms. Do the rv water filters really help much?

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John C Daley
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from; https://www.albertaurbangarden.ca/2015/06/05/does-the-chlorine-in-tap-water-harm-beneficial-bacteria
Yes, chlorine, a common disinfectant, can kill many microorganisms, including some beneficial ones,
but the impact on garden soil is generally minimal due to the protective nature of soil and biofilms.

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Anne Miller
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I have always heard that to let the water sit overnight to remove the chlorine.

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James Bridger
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Letting tap water sit overnight will allow any chlorine to out-gas. BUT.....most water departments use chloramine now (the nasty stuff you get when you mix chlorine and ammonia), specifically because of the fact that chloramine doesn't outgas like chlorine does, so they can use less of it. Since chloramine doesn't outgas by just letting it sit overnight, it has to be removed by filtration, reverse osmosis, or distillation.
All that being said, I use chloramine-filled water from the hose on my garden.
 
Revo Smith
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I use an inline hose filter for the garden. It was about $20 and I replaced it every year. I spend so much effort trying to build my soil and don't want to stunt it's life with unnecessary chemicals.

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Timothy Norton
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I would like to hit you with the classic "It depends."

I water from my municipal supply without issue. My supply doesn't get 'fragrant' even though it is treated and I haven't had any growth issues. If you have the ability to let the water sit for a bit to off-gas anything yucky to make you feel more confident in not damaging your plants, I think that is an excellent approach as well.

How much water do you roughly believe you will need to use to irrigate your garden? I had a fantastic year last year where I live due to frequently spaced rain where I barely had to water. Other years I rely on my hose a lot.

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Anne Miller
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Another option would be to do rainwater.

We made a simple collection by adding a gutter to a shed.   The container could be a barrel or an IBC tote.

We elevated our IBC tote.

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r ranson
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I've never found it to be an issue in the garden to water right from the hose.  Most of the organic farms here do so too.  If the soil is healthy, it can take care of most things like this.

I suspect that the key is healthy soil and watering only what is needed for your climate. Organic matter in the soil to hold onto the water means less frequent watering and more time for the soil to do its thing.

House plants tend to be more sensitive to water additives because they don't have the backup of a diverse soil health.

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Oliver Huynh
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Hello,
You might want to know the hardness of the water you will be using.
Over a large area of living soil, hard water may not cause harm. On potted plants however, I suspect you could stunt their growth in the long term.
Have a nice evening,
Oliver

From under the mother plum tree.

 
Douglas Alpenstock
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Personally, I would get growing like mad first, using tap water. I doubt you can do long-term harm to living soil -- it was here long before humans came along, and it will be here long after we are gone.

It's reasonable to add refinements, noted above. Use a tank and allow time for free chlorine to evaporate. Also consider, chloramine doesn't like aeration and it breaks apart in UV light. This takes time, but I find that improvements in anything are incremental. Luck!
 
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