What is Alkalinity?
Alkalinity describes the ability of water to neutralize acids. Water that has higher alkalinity can be said to be more alkaline.
The more alkaline the water, the more the water is able to accept protons, usually hydrogen ions, and the better it can prevent the pH level from dropping too quickly if acids are intentionally or unintentionally added to the pool water, called pH bounce. This action essentially buffers the water from wild up or down movements in pH.
[sc:ad_middle]Swimming pool owners need understand the concept of alkalinity, and need to be concerned about the alkalinity level of their pool by measuring total alkalinity, which is one of several key measurements to keep balanced swimming pool water.
Sources:
- “Pool & Spa Water Chemistry, A Testing and Treatment Guide, Waterproof Edition, 2005. Taylor”
- “Wikipedia: Alkalinity”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkalinity
- USGS, http://toxics.usgs.gov/definitions/alkalinity.html