Is Tap Water Acidic or Alkaline?
Tap water (raw) is neutral: PRAL close to zero: hardly shifts your acid-base balance.
Classification
At −0.1 per 100 ml, tap water is neutral. It contains traces of calcium and magnesium but neither protein nor phosphorus. How hard your water is shifts the value only minimally, slightly toward minus with very hard water. It is unremarkable for your acid-base balance, but as a calorie-free thirst quencher, it's still the standard.
In the Drinks category, tap water (raw) ranks #61 of 80, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Rooibos tea (−0.1), Kombucha (plain) (−0.1), Orange soda (−0.2). More acid-forming are Agave syrup (0.0), Energy drink (sweetened) (0.0), Ginger ale (0.0).
Acidic or alkaline: PRAL, not pH
On this site, acidic and alkaline refer to the PRAL (potential renal acid load). It estimates what a food leaves behind once it has been digested: a positive value is acid-forming, a negative value is alkalizing. That is different from the pH of the food itself: a lemon tastes sour, yet its PRAL is −4.0, so it is alkalizing. Your diet does not change your blood pH. It does change how much acid your kidneys have to deal with.
Goes well with
Frequently Asked Questions
Is tap water acidic?
It depends on what you mean by acidic. The pH describes the food itself, for example how sour it tastes. The PRAL describes what it leaves behind after digestion: Tap water (raw) has a PRAL of −0.1 per 100 ml, so it counts as neutral in your daily acid-base balance.
Does tap water count in the acid-base balance at all?
Hardly. At −0.1 per 100 ml, tap water is in the neutral range between −0.5 and +0.5. You can eat it without shifting your balance.
Tap Water logged, balance checked.
Basentracker adds up every meal automatically and shows whether your day is in the alkaline range. The same values as on this page, all 977 foods, photo scan, recipes.
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Compare all Drinks: Drinks table. Common questions are answered in Acidic or Alkaline?, and the PRAL calculator adds up a whole meal.
Source: Basentracker food database (PRAL according to Remer & Manz, calculated from protein, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium per 100 g). This information does not replace medical advice.