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The area I live in has VERY hard water (above 240 ppm dissolved salts). I have been thinking of either giving my snakes distilled water, or tapwater dilluted with distilled water.

I would think most snakes drank soft water except those from desert areas.

Any thoughts or comments?

Well, I live in an area with water so hard that I had to scrape out the bowls with a brillo pad just to get the buildup off after only a week, and it just disgusted me -- plus the smell of tapwater nauseates me (I live in a midwestern state renowned for its poopy water), all chlorine-y and chemical. And you can bet that the day I decided to stop drinking it, ALL my animals stopped drinking it, as well.

I say go for it. If you have a small collection, it's cheap enough to buy purified water, and IMHO well worth the trouble.

--Naamah

I wouldn't go with distilled, just spring water. Distilled water has no salts and might mess with your animals somehow if given over the long term. (It also tastes very gross IMO). It can kill fish outright, but fish live in it, of course.
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Peter: It's OK, I'll handle it. I read a book about something like this.
Brian: Are you sure it was a book? Are you sure it wasn't NOTHING?

I would think most snakes drank soft water except those from desert areas.

There are lots of areas with hard water that aren't in the desert. Most areas with a lot of limestone will have hard water and they aren't necessarily dry areas. I don't know for sure, but I will be the water in the FL Keys is fairly hard.

I don't think it presents a significant problem to snakes any more than it does to people. People may not like the taste of water in a particular area (ours is very soft but still tastes disgusting!), but I have never heard of any physiological complications from drinking hard water.

Now getting hard water deposits out of water bowls can be a pain, but that is why you should use disposable deli cups for water bowls!

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Chris Harrison

...he was beginning to realize he was the creature of a god that appreciated the discomfort of his worshippers - W. Somerset Maugham

I must have always lived in areas with good municipal water. Never had a problem with the taste of what comes out of the tap – and I consider my taste buds very discriminating.

Anyway, maybe those dinky little snakes that some people keep can utilize dinky little deli cups for water bowls. [Insert smilies here. Or maybe not.] But if you keep substantial snakes that require substantial water bowls and you have a problem with mineral deposits, a strong vinegar and water solution will dissolve away the offending deposits with little or no scrubbing required.

YMMV

If my water dishes don't weigh thirty pounds they get tipped over within five minutes. Sometimes even the heavy ceramic ones end up getting tipped over.
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International Snakes Meetup
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I place the deli cup in a PVC pipe connecter which holds it upright and stops most of my snakes from turning them over. For most of my snakes (which are under 4 feet) this works fine. For baby snakes, I use condiment containers and throw those away as well.

For a few of my more difficult snakes (a pair of 5 foot eastern kings) I have to bolt the PVC to the side of the cage and then set the deli cup inside it.

I love this system. I haven't had to wash a waterbowl in years!
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Chris Harrison

...he was beginning to realize he was the creature of a god that appreciated the discomfort of his worshippers - W. Somerset Maugham

Or one of those Pur filters? I bought one that fits right on my kitchen tap. You need to buy replacement filters from time to time, but heck, they filter ALOT of water.

I think its a decent investment...

Yeah -- I had a brita filter for a long time, but I actually prefer the taste of the brand of spring water that my supermarket carries, so I use it. I'm still thinking about getting an in-tap system installed, mostly for water to cook with. Yes. I hate chlorine just that effing much.

--Naamah