Good water is essential for good growth. I recently purchased a small reverse osmosis device that fits on the end of my kitchen faucet. It's called the Water Maker Mini by Nimbus. I can collect the water in a five gallon plastic bottle at the rate of 1 gallon every 1 1/2 hours or so. I can't afford to put an in-line R / O unit under the sink! But this little gadget works great for the amount of plants I have to water. It's small, portable, and easily disconnectable. The downside is that it only produces about 10 gallons a day. The goodside is I don't use 10 gallons a day! Between my Nepenthes, Sarracenias, Droseras, Fly-traps, Heliamphoras, and my orchids I go through about 4 to 6 gallons a day depending on how hot the day was. The unit cost $75.00 and the filter should last for a year. Replacement filters are about $40.00. In the long run, it will save me money.

I used to go to the water machines every day it seemed like! For 10 cents a gallon I could get purified water that was sodium free. On a bad day I paid 25 cents a gallon for purified, sodium free water. Whatever your choice, I suggest splurging when it comes to water. Nepenthes are forgiving plants when grown in unfavorable conditions, so give 'em a break and get them some decent water.

I was told by a grower that anything below 100 ppm of dissolved salts is okay for Nepenthes. Some people are lucky to live in areas where there water is great and don't need any special treatment. The best choice is rain water or reverse osmosis water where available. Some homes have those filters already installed, or you can buy aftermarket add-ons. Other options include distilled water which you can buy at the store for about .75 cents a gallon. And then there's always the water machines.  Some water machines give you a choice of drinking water of purified water. I always go with purified water. I've heard that some water companies at some salt or whatever to drinking water to make it tastier. If you're not sure, contact the water business and ask them how many ppm's of salts are in their water. And finally, hose water usually has too many minerals and salts in it to be real effective. Salts will begin to accumulate on the leaves and the top of the soil. The moss will get mineral build up and not stay green. Green sphagnum moss is a sign of good, healthy soil. Nepenthes can tolerate hard water for a while but growth will be deformed and the plant will suffer. Since carnivorous plants require a lot of water these extra salts could be damaging if used over time.

I tend to keep my Nepenthes more on the wet side rather than the dry side. Because I grow my highlanders and intermediates outdoors, I don't believe they are as susceptible to fungus and root rot problems because there is much more air circulation around the plants than in a terrarium or other enclosed environment without fans. Also, they don't have catch saucers so there is no chance of sustained exposure to sitting water. I have to be more careful with my indoor Nepenthes though. I do use catch saucers and any excess drainage from watering is removed. I have lost lowlanders due to wet, rotting soil indoors because I kept them too wet and there wasn't enough air circulation in the bedroom to adequately dry out the moss to some degree. My plants directly on the windowsill use more water because they receive higher light and heat levels from direct sunlight streaming in through the window than my bigger plants below the window. A good sign of over watering is when the moss starts to blacken and smells. If this happens, just repot the plant and everything should be alright.

Once your plants are established to their conditions, watering is fairly academic. I have noticed that when my lowlanders indoors were kept "drier" the tendrils and developing pitchers would burn off or turn black. Sometimes pitchers never developed. Since I've kept them "wetter" they're pitchering up like normal.

Guidelines:

* Use good water that is less than 100 ppm like reverse osmosis (R.O.), distilled, rain water etc.
* Drinking or bottled water probably is okay, but sometimes salt is added to improve taste
* Don't allow Nepenthes to sit for periods of time in water
* If the soil dries out, set pot in a bucket of good water to allow rehydration through the drain holes
* White, chalky deposits on the top of the soil is a sign of high salt and mineral levels
* Prolonged use of "tap" or high mineral content water MAY have some damage to plants. Occasional use appears fine
* Best to water through the soil and allow drainage in a sink or outdoors to avoid water stagnation