Choosing the Right Water Filtration for Your Grow 💧

Simple Options, Real Trade-Offs

Once you understand that water quality matters, the next question becomes:

What’s the best way to treat my water?

There isn’t one “correct” answer. The right filtration method depends on:

• Your starting water quality

• How you grow

• Your budget

• How much effort you want to put in

This guide breaks down the most common water filtration options growers use, along with the pros and cons of each.

Why Filtration Matters 🌱

Water is the foundation of every input.

If your water contains:

• High dissolved solids (PPM / EC)

• Treatment chemicals used in municipal systems

• Excess minerals or salts

Then nutrients become harder to manage, microbes struggle to survive, and plants receive inconsistent inputs.

Dialing in water quality before plants arrive makes the entire grow smoother — especially when working with cultivation-ready clones, which respond quickly and consistently to water changes.

Step One: Know Your Starting Water 🧪

Before choosing any filtration method, it’s important to understand what’s already in your water.

Measure PPM or EC

Use a PPM or EC tester to determine how many dissolved solids are present in your water. This gives you a baseline and tells you whether your water is already usable or needs filtration.

PPM and EC are simply two ways of measuring the same thing — how much material is dissolved in the water.

Understand How Your Water Is Treated

Instead of testing directly for chlorine or chloramine, growers can:

• Look up their local county or municipal water report

• Check how their water is treated at the source

Most counties publish this information publicly. Knowing whether chlorine or chloramine is used helps you decide whether simple dechlorination is enough or if filtration is necessary.

This step alone can save a lot of guesswork.

Option 1: Under-the-Sink or Inline Carbon Filters 🚰

These are filters that attach directly to a sink, hose, or faucet.

What They Do Well

• Remove chlorine

• Improve taste and odor

• Reduce some contaminants

Limitations

• Do not significantly lower PPM or EC

• Do not remove all dissolved minerals

• Less effective against chloramine

Cost Range

• Low to moderate upfront cost

• Ongoing filter replacements

Best For

• Growers with moderate PPM tap water

• Soil or coco growers

• Systems where microbial life matters

This option is often the easiest upgrade for growers who already have decent water.

Option 2: Reverse Osmosis (RO) Systems 💦

RO systems remove nearly everything from the water.

What They Do Well

• Produce extremely clean water (near 0 PPM)

• Remove chlorine, chloramine, salts, and metals

• Create a consistent baseline

Limitations

• Higher upfront cost

• Wastewater output

• Requires remineralization or nutrient adjustment

Cost Range

• Moderate to high upfront cost

• Periodic membrane and filter replacement

Best For

• Growers with very high PPM water

• Hydro or coco systems

• Growers who want full control over inputs

RO water gives you a blank slate — which is powerful, but requires more attention to nutrient balance.

Option 3: Distilled Water 🧴

Some growers choose to buy distilled water in jugs.

What It Does Well

• Extremely clean

• No dissolved solids

• No treatment chemicals

• No equipment required

Limitations

• Ongoing cost

• Not scalable for larger grows

• Still requires nutrient supplementation

Cost Range

• Low upfront cost

• High long-term cost

Best For

• Small home grows

• Seedlings or clones

• Temporary solutions

Distilled water works — but becomes impractical as plant count increases.

Comparing the Options (Big Picture) 🧠

There’s no “best” option — only what fits your grow style and water source.

Matching Filtration to Your Grow Style 🌿

• Soil & Living Soil: Carbon filters or RO (remineralized)

• Coco & Synganic: RO or low-PPM filtered water

• Hydro / DWC: RO strongly recommended

The more precise the system, the more important water consistency becomes.

Why This Decision Should Come Early ⏱️

Water filtration isn’t something to figure out halfway through a grow.

Before plants arrive:

• Test your water with a PPM or EC meter

• Understand how your water is treated locally

• Choose a filtration method

• Build your feeding plan around it

Starting with uniform genetics from clones (link) makes it easier to see how water quality impacts growth, since plant response stays consistent.

Final Takeaway ✨

💧 All water works — but not equally
🧪 Know your PPM or EC first
🚿 Understand your local water treatment
🌱 Consistency matters more than perfection

Choosing the right water filtration upfront removes one of the biggest variables in growing.

Everything else builds from there.

Grown with care. Always. 🌿

Grow With the Community 🌱

• Explore our grow guides (Blog link)

• Get help with your clones (Chat GPT - Clone To Homies link)