I’m assuming your ph meter is calibrated and working properly.

People buy alkaline water generators and swear by them for improving their health. Although most alkaline water generator manufacturers recommend a slightly lower ph than what you are reading for optimal health. I noticed that Dr. Ken replied to your note and said it was ok. Ken literally wrote the book on nutrition and health. If he says it’s ok I believe him.

What’s your total hardness? When you adjust the ph, let the water sit for a few hours and check the ph again. If it goes back up you have so many dissolved minerals in your water that it’s buffering any ph adjuster you are adding to the water and it’s impossible to overcome chemically. At that point the only option I know of is a reverse osmosis filter. This will remove a lot of the dissolved solids, stop some of the chemical reactions going on and lower the ph. It will also make your water more adjustable.

For a garden solution try a rainwater capture system. Not just gutter diverters and barrels. Think about swails, micro-swails and biochar. Even planting in furrow valleys where the mounds are oriented to provide shade to the soil throughout the day will increase water retention significantly.