I took a quick look at the Fairfax County Water Authority’s Inorganic and Metal Water Reports today and it looks like according to John Palmer’s How to Brew site that we are grossly lacking in Calcium, Magnesium, and Sulfates needed for all grain brewing. At least when I get to that point it should be easier to add these to water than to to take them out if the numbers were excessive.

I am also not quite sure which water supply is serving me in Fairfax Circle. I am officially on the City of Falls Church’s water system, but for areas outside of the beltway (aka my house) they buy the water wholesale from Fairfax County. The FCWA site says that Southern Fairfax is mostly served by Lorton and Occoquan supplies, while Northern Fairfax is served by the Corbalis plant. Fairfax circle is almost dead center of the county so no idea where that puts me. Luckily all of the sources seem to be about the same.

Fairfax Water Quality (2005 Averages)

N. Fairfax

Corbalis

S. Fairfax

Lorton

S. Fairfax

Occoquan

Acceptable Ranges

Calcium (Ca+2)

31.7

32.9

35.9

50-150

Magnesium (Mg+2)

9.2

5.2

5.2

10-30

Bicarbonate (HCO3-1)

For Pale

83

52

53

0-50

For Amber

83

52

53

50-150

For Dark

83

52

53

150-250

Sulfate (SO4-2)

Reg. Bitter

23.4

34.2

43.5

50-150

Very Bitter

23.4

34.2

43.5

150-350

Sodium (Na+1)

20.3

17

16

0-150

Chloride (Cl-1)

36.1

35

30.5

0-250

Hardness Calcium

78

80

86

 

Hardness Total

119

107

113

 

*All number are in PPM