Why is sodium hydroxide the best choice to adjust the pH?

• April 5, 2024 |

Sodium hydroxide is used at thousands of drinking water plants across the nation to make pH adjustments. When dissolved in water, it breaks down into sodium ions (found in table salt, but don’t worry, it won’t make the water salty!) and hydroxide ions (found in all water). In addition to being used in water treatment, it is used in many everyday beauty products and in food preparation to make ingredients less harsh (overly acidic formulas with a very low pH can be extremely harsh on the skin).

Sodium hydroxide was selected due to the chemistry of Medford Water’s raw source water (Big Butte Springs and the Rogue River), as well as conditions within some customer’s private plumbing and in the distribution system. The addition of sodium hydroxide prior to transmission through distribution pipes will adjust the pH to a level that reduces this leaching capability of the water. As a corrosion inhibitor, sodium hydroxide is the best choice to make this change.