As one who lives on a river, I would NOT use river water for any of my plants. River water is composed of rain, and whatever nutrients and chemicals it picks up on it's way downriver...and that can be things you don't want in your plants.
I set up a simple rain-collector in my yard, and when it is raining good I can get 2 gal an hour from it..enough to handle pretty much all my needs. I save the water in covered, 5 gal. black buckets till needed, and so far this fall/winter have been able to keep 15 gal. in reserve at all times.
This rain water is -0- PPM and PH's at 7.0, about as clean and neutral as it can get!
In the summer I used chlorinated tap water that had been fed mucho air via 2 4" stones in a 10 gal tub. I find that after 12 hrs. the chlorene smell is gone, and I have used it without any problems.
ALL the water I feed my plants has been aerated for at least 12 hrs in a 10 gal. tub I keep ready to go at all times, making sure it is full of good oxygen to feed the plants. So far, based on the results of my first completed grow, I would say it is doing a good job.
ISO
__________________ The Essence of Compassion "Resolve to be tender with the young, Compassionate with the aged, Sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and wrong...... ...... because sometime in your life you have been guilty of all of these"
. ATF x Purple Kush, Mango x Romulan, White Widow x Skunk#1, Purple Willie |