Straight Talk, No Hype
A plain-language guide to alkaline water for Oahu households, from the pH science to what actually happens inside a Kangen ionizer, with a free tasting offered locally.
pH is a scale from 0 to 14 that measures how acidic or alkaline a liquid is, with 7.0 sitting right in the middle as neutral. Black coffee and most sodas fall on the acidic side. Baking soda dissolved in water sits on the alkaline side. Drinking water in Hawaii typically tests close to neutral, somewhere around 7.0 to 7.5 pH, depending on the water system and neighborhood.
Alkaline water simply means water with a pH above 7, usually in the 8.0 to 9.5 range for drinking. The idea behind alkaline drinking water is to offer an easy, ongoing way to hydrate with water that has a different mineral and pH profile than what comes straight out of the tap. It is not a treatment for any condition, it is a lifestyle choice around hydration.
The important distinction is how that alkalinity gets there. Some products add minerals after the fact. Kangen machines create alkaline water through electrolysis, splitting filtered tap water into alkaline and acidic streams in real time, which is why the water coming out is fresh rather than shelf-stable.
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Alkaline water is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Life on Oahu tends to be active outdoors, whether that is a sunrise hike, a paddle session, or a Saturday at the Kapiolani Community College farmers market. Having alkaline water on tap at home means filling a reusable bottle before you head out is second nature, instead of grabbing a case of plastic bottles at the store.
Lee Meadows works with families all over Honolulu who wanted to cut down on bottled water without giving up the taste and feel they had gotten used to. The best way to know if it is right for you is to taste it yourself, side by side with your regular tap water, at a free consultation.
It comes down to pH. Plain tap water usually sits close to neutral, around 7.0 pH. Alkaline water has a higher pH, typically between 8 and 10, which means it has fewer free hydrogen ions relative to hydroxide ions.
Not quite. Most bottled alkaline water gets its pH from added minerals or baking soda mixed in at a bottling plant, then it sits on a shelf, sometimes for months. Kangen water is ionized fresh at your kitchen tap through electrolysis, right before you drink it, and the pH is adjustable.
For most healthy adults, yes. As with any change to your diet or water intake, it is smart to start gradually and talk with your doctor if you have kidney issues or are on medication that affects your electrolyte balance.
Oahu municipal water is generally clean, but a Kangen machine still runs it through a dedicated filter before ionization to reduce chlorine taste, sediment, and other impurities, so what comes out the spout is both filtered and alkaline.
Lee Meadows offers free tastings at the Honolulu showroom on Waialae Ave. You can sample the different pH levels side by side and ask questions before making any decision.
Free alkaline water tastings are available at our Honolulu showroom. No pressure, just a glass of water and honest answers.
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