Alabaster, AL tap water
Supplied by City of Alabaster Water Department. Here's what its water means for your fish.
Disinfectant
Chlorine
Your water is treated with chlorine. It slowly gases off from standing water, and any water conditioner removes it.
Safety for fish and shrimp
Nitrite (NO₂)
Not detected (Low)
Not detected in testing, so any nitrite in your tank comes from the tank itself.
From EPA monitoring data (2014–2017).
Nitrate (NO₃)
4–5 ppm (Low)
Typical 4.5 ppm
Low, so water changes lower your tank's nitrate well.
From EPA monitoring data (2012–2019).
Chlorine or chloramine at the tap
1–1.7 ppm
Typical 1.3 ppm
At tap levels, chlorine and chloramine are toxic to fish, shrimp and the bacteria in a filter. Water conditioners are made for this range.
From EPA monitoring data (2013–2017).
Water chemistry
General hardness
Not published yet
We haven't found this number yet. A drop test kit gives you your exact reading.
Carbonate hardness (alkalinity)
168–180 ppm
Typical 180 ppm
Strong buffering. pH stays steady and hard to lower without RO water.
From EPA monitoring data (2012–2018).
pH
7.7–7.8
Typical 7.7
Most community fish do well here. Stable water matters more than the exact number.
From EPA monitoring data (2014–2017).
- City of Alabaster Water Department adds phosphate to protect pipes. It can feed algae in tanks without much plant growth.
- City of Alabaster Water Department softens its water at the plant, so it may be softer than the local groundwater.
Who supplies Alabaster, AL
City of Alabaster Water Department
Serves 97% of residents · Buys water from Shelby County Commission-Water Services · Chlorine
Our data comes from public records and is still incomplete. Many utilities don't publish every number, so we're adding more all the time. Your city's range is a starting point: testing your own tap is the only way to know exactly what's in it.
Tap water lookup covers US cities only for now. Want to know why it matters? Read our story on tap water.
Compiled by Shoal & Stem from public records. Free to cite with a link.