You can get alkaline water in several ways: buy it bottled, use a home water ionizer, filter tap water through a remineralizing pitcher, or simply add baking soda or mineral drops to regular water. Alkaline water has a pH above 7 (neutral), typically ranging from 8 to 9.5, compared to most tap water which falls between 6.5 and 8.5. Each method differs in cost, convenience, and how long the alkalinity lasts.
What Makes Water Alkaline
The pH scale runs from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral. Anything above 7 is alkaline, anything below is acidic. Regular tap water in the U.S. generally falls between 6.5 and 8.5, which is the range recommended by the EPA for municipal water systems.
Water becomes alkaline one of two ways. Either it picks up minerals naturally, like calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate, as it flows through rock underground, or it gets processed to raise its pH artificially. Naturally alkaline spring water gets its mineral content from contact with limestone, volcanic rock, and other geological formations. Artificially alkaline water is made by running an electrical current through it or by adding alkaline compounds directly.
Buying Bottled Alkaline Water
The simplest option is picking up bottled alkaline water at a grocery store. Most brands advertise a pH between 8 and 9.5. Fiji Water and Biota, for example, come in at about 7.5, which is only mildly alkaline. Deep Rock and Evamore sit around 8.0. Specialty ionized brands push higher, advertising pH levels from 9.5 up to 11.2. Prices vary widely, but expect to pay two to four times more per bottle than standard water.
If you go this route, check the label. Some brands start with purified water and add minerals back in, while others source from naturally alkaline springs. The mineral profile matters more than the pH number on the label, since minerals like calcium and magnesium are what give naturally alkaline water any potential benefit beyond plain water.
Using a Water Ionizer
A water ionizer is an electric countertop device that hooks up to your faucet and uses electrolysis to split tap water into two streams: one alkaline, one acidic. Inside the unit, water passes between two electrodes separated by a membrane. At one electrode, the chemical reaction produces dissolved hydrogen gas and hydroxide ions, which raise the pH of the water. At the other electrode, the reaction creates acidic water containing dissolved oxygen. The membrane keeps the two streams from mixing, so you get alkaline water from one outlet and acidic water (which some people use for cleaning) from another.
Most ionizers let you select a pH level, typically anywhere from 8 to 10. These machines range from about $500 to over $4,000 depending on the brand and the number of electrode plates. The upside is you get alkaline water on demand without buying bottles. The downside, besides the price, is that the alkalinity depends heavily on your source water. If your tap water has very few dissolved minerals, the ionizer has less to work with and may not raise the pH as effectively.
Alkaline Filter Pitchers and Attachments
A more affordable option is a filter pitcher or faucet attachment designed to remineralize water. These use layered filter media that slowly dissolve minerals into the water as it passes through. Common materials include calcite (calcium carbonate), which raises pH and adds calcium, and corosex (magnesium oxide), which boosts both magnesium content and pH. Some filters also include dolomite, a mineral blend providing calcium and magnesium together.
Higher-end versions use multi-stage cartridges with ceramic or volcanic media, tourmaline ceramic balls, and maifan stone, a mineral used in traditional Chinese medicine that releases trace elements like zinc and selenium. These pitchers typically raise water pH to somewhere between 8 and 9 and cost $20 to $80, with replacement filters every two to three months. They won’t hit the same pH levels as a dedicated ionizer, but for most people interested in trying alkaline water, they’re the most practical entry point.
Adding Baking Soda
The cheapest method is dissolving baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) in water. About one-eighth of a teaspoon in an 8-ounce glass will nudge the pH up into alkaline territory. The effect is immediate: baking soda is a strong alkaline compound that dissolves completely in water.
There’s an obvious tradeoff. Baking soda is high in sodium. One-eighth of a teaspoon contains roughly 150 milligrams of sodium, which adds up fast if you’re doing this with every glass. For anyone watching their sodium intake due to blood pressure or heart concerns, this method creates more problems than it solves. The taste is also noticeably salty and slightly metallic at higher concentrations.
Using pH Drops
Liquid alkaline concentrates, sold as “pH drops,” are another at-home option. You add a few drops to a glass or bottle of water to raise the pH. These products typically contain a blend of alkaline minerals: sodium silicate, calcium chloride, and magnesium sulfate are common ingredients. Some also include trace minerals from fossilized plant matter.
A small bottle costs $10 to $25 and lasts several weeks. The mineral concentrations are low enough per serving that sodium intake is less of a concern than with baking soda. The pH increase is modest, usually bringing water up to around 8 or 9, and the taste change is minimal.
Natural Spring Sources
If you live near natural springs, you may have access to water that’s already alkaline without any processing. Underground water picks up minerals as it moves through rock formations, and springs rich in bicarbonate (above 600 milligrams per liter) tend to be naturally alkaline. These waters also contain calcium, magnesium, and sulfate in varying amounts depending on the local geology. Some people collect spring water directly, though the safety of doing so depends entirely on whether the source has been tested for contaminants.
Potential Benefits and Risks
The evidence for alkaline water’s health benefits is limited but not zero. One lab study found that water at pH 8.8 permanently inactivated pepsin, the digestive enzyme responsible for the tissue damage in acid reflux. The alkaline water also buffered hydrochloric acid more effectively than conventional water. This suggests a possible role as a supplement for people with reflux disease, though lab results don’t always translate directly to what happens in the body.
For most healthy people, drinking moderately alkaline water (pH 8 to 9) is unlikely to cause harm. Your kidneys and lungs regulate blood pH tightly, and a glass of alkaline water won’t override those systems. However, the Mayo Clinic notes safety concerns when pH exceeds 9.8. Consistently overwhelming your body’s buffering capacity, especially combined with antacid use, can push blood chemistry toward a condition called metabolic alkalosis. This is rare in healthy people but can cause abnormal heart rhythms, reduced breathing rate, and kidney damage in those with impaired kidney function.
The practical reality is that your stomach acid, with a pH around 1.5 to 3.5, neutralizes most of the alkalinity in any water you drink. Whatever method you choose, the effect on your body’s overall pH is minimal. The minerals in naturally alkaline water, particularly calcium and magnesium, may offer genuine nutritional value, but that benefit comes from the minerals themselves, not from the pH.