Muffin,

To answer your question, No they are not the same, the words are similar but
their meanings tell you different things.

The easiest way for me, years ago, to tell the difference is that when you
are talking about pH you are talking about whether the water is acid or
basic and/or alkaline. The pH is essentially the reading of the acid
content of the water and if it is not acid it is neutral or basic.
Personally, I think the term basic should be used more often, because when
you mention alkaline, especially now-a-days, people seem to think about
Alkalinity as being the same thing and it is not, for alkalinity is the
measurement of the carbonates that are in the water that is part of the
hardness or the water as in Sodium bi"carbonate". GH (general Hardness)
deals with the hardness measuring the amount of Calcium and Magnesium in the
water.

So when you think about pH think acid, neutral and basic and/or if you must,
you can exchange basic for alkaline, not alkalinity.

Now alkalinity is measured two ways in degrees and ppm. The degrees was
devised by the Germans in dKH degree. This degree can be changed to ppm by
multiplying it by 17.9 . So if your kit reads 8 degrees of dKH your water
has an alkalinity of 143 ppm of alkalinity. Personally, I like the good old
ppm measurement.

So, to summarize; pH deals with reading that tell you if your water is acid,
neutral or basic, or if you must if you water is alkaline. When you deal
with KH you are dealing with alkalinity that tells you the amount of
buffering carbonates are in your water.

HTH

Tom L.L.
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"*muffin*" wrote in message
...
my ph test kit says that 7.0 on the reading is neutral.
above is alkaline.......
but, some 'things' (like koizyme) want an alkalinity as a minimum of 80
preferred is 100-120.
where/how do you get those readings???????/