Quote Originally Posted by TANKJR
Or just collect rainwater...
What's the unadjusted ph of your collected rainwater, and how do you remove the contaminants? (smog, industrial pollution, carbon dioxide...)

Answers.com - What is the pH of rain water and why and what does it mean

I used to use the tapwater when I was living in Vegas. Some of the worst water available from a tap. Worked fine when I'd fill-up a 5 gallon sparklets bottle and let the chlorine 'outgas' overnight.

I now use the tapwater where I am, which is a well on our property drawing from an aquafir of calcium/magnesium limestone. Bummer that it's 7.9 out of the tap, but a little phosphoric acid (phDown) brings it down just fine.

Do not think that just because it's muni water that you need to go buy water. In most cases it's acceptable. It's real easy to find you local tapwater conditions by doing a Google search for your local municipality. For instance...I'd Google "Water quality report - Las Vegas" for that city. Shitloads of info, and some of it is even useful.