Does Water Quality Actually Matter?
Short answer: yes, but probably less than Reddit makes it seem.
Water hardness (mineral content) and chlorine/chloramine levels can affect hash in two ways: flavour and colour. Hard water with high mineral content can leave a slightly harsh taste. Chloramine (used by most Canadian cities now instead of chlorine) doesn't evaporate out like chlorine does — it bonds to the water and stays in your hash.
That said, plenty of people make excellent hash with straight tap water. Bubbleman himself has said water quality is way down the priority list compared to genetics, temperature, and technique.
The honest take: if your tap water tastes fine to drink, it'll make fine hash. If you're chasing competition-grade full-melt and have hard or heavily chloraminated water, filtering is worth the $30-50 investment.
Water Hardness by Province
Hardness measured in mg/L CaCO3. Under 60 = soft. 60-120 = moderate. 120-180 = hard. Over 180 = very hard.
| Province | Major Cities | Hardness (mg/L) | Rating | Hash Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna | 3–25 | Very soft | Use tap water. BC has some of the softest water in Canada. You're golden. |
| Alberta | Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer | 165–280 | Very hard | Filter or use RO. Calgary averages 200+ mg/L. Edmonton is slightly better but still hard. This will affect taste. |
| Saskatchewan | Saskatoon, Regina | 140–350 | Very hard | RO strongly recommended. Some of the hardest water in Canada. Regina is particularly bad. |
| Manitoba | Winnipeg, Brandon | 75–140 | Moderate–Hard | Winnipeg is borderline. A Brita pitcher won't fix hardness, but it helps with chloramine. RO for best results. |
| Ontario | Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton | 75–250 | Varies wildly | Toronto (Lake Ontario source) is ~125 mg/L — moderate. Ottawa is softer (~30-70). Hamilton is harder. Check your city's water report. |
| Quebec | Montreal, Quebec City | 60–115 | Soft–Moderate | Montreal is ~105 mg/L. Manageable. Quebec City is softer. Tap water is fine for most. |
| New Brunswick | Saint John, Moncton, Fredericton | 20–80 | Soft | Use tap. Generally soft water from river/lake sources. |
| Nova Scotia | Halifax, Sydney | 10–50 | Very soft | Halifax has some of the softest water in the country. No filtration needed. |
| PEI | Charlottetown | 40–100 | Soft–Moderate | Groundwater-fed, slightly harder than mainland Maritimes. Tap is fine. |
| Newfoundland | St. John's | 5–15 | Very soft | Some of the softest water in Canada. Perfect for washing. |
Sources: Municipal water quality reports, Health Canada guidelines. Values are typical ranges — check your city's annual water report for exact numbers. Most cities publish these online.
Chlorine vs. Chloramine
Chlorine (free chlorine) evaporates. Leave a bucket of water out overnight or run it through a carbon filter and it's gone. Old school, mostly phased out.
Chloramine (combined chlorine + ammonia) does NOT evaporate. It's stable in water. Most Canadian cities switched to chloramine in the 2000s-2010s because it lasts longer in the distribution system. Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa — all chloramine now.
For hash making: chloramine leaves a slight chemical taste in the final product. You won't notice it in cooking-grade hash, but it's detectable in high-quality full-melt. A standard carbon filter (Brita, fridge filter) reduces chloramine by about 90%. An RO system removes it completely.
Filtering Options for Hash Makers
Brita / carbon pitcher filter — $25–40 CAD
Removes chloramine and some minerals. Doesn't fix hardness. Good enough for moderate water (Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba). Slow — you'll need to filter 10-20 litres for a 5-gallon wash, which means filling the pitcher many times. Do this the day before your wash.
RO countertop system — $60–150 CAD on Amazon.ca
Removes everything: minerals, chloramine, heavy metals. Produces very soft water regardless of where you live. The go-to for Alberta, Saskatchewan, and anyone chasing top-quality hash. Aqua Tru and SimPure are popular budget RO units available in Canada.
Using snow — $0
Fresh clean snow is essentially distilled water. Very soft, zero minerals, zero chlorine. Multiple Canadian hashers report excellent results using packed snow instead of ice + water. The plant material stays cleaner and there's zero mineral contamination.
Snow hack: Pack fresh snow directly into your wash bucket instead of ice + water. As it melts, it becomes near-pure water at 0°C. Perfectly cold, perfectly clean. Just use clean snow — not the yellow stuff from beside the road. Collect it fresh from a flat surface away from traffic.
The "don't bother" approach
Honestly? If you're in BC, the Maritimes, or any soft-water city, just use tap. The difference between tap and RO in Vancouver is negligible. Save your money for better bags or genetics — those matter 10x more than water quality.
Finding Your City's Water Quality
Every Canadian municipality is legally required to publish an annual water quality report. Google "[your city] annual water quality report" and look for the most recent one. The numbers you want:
Hardness (mg/L CaCO3): Under 60 is ideal. Over 180, consider RO.
Total dissolved solids (TDS): Under 100 is great. Over 300, filter.
Chlorine residual: Tells you chlorine/chloramine levels. Under 0.5 mg/L is fine.
Or buy a $15 TDS meter on Amazon.ca. Stick it in your tap water. Under 100 ppm? Don't worry about it. Over 200 ppm? Filter.
Related Guides
→ Complete Beginner's Guide — everything from setup to first wash
→ Equipment Setup Guide — full shopping lists including filtration
→ Troubleshooting Guide — fixing green, harsh, or off-flavour hash
→ Yield Calculator — estimate your return before washing