# How much can holy water be diluted? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 13, 2009, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-can-holy-water-be-diluted/513601 "2009-10-13T00:07:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rhysf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f14d63/32.png) [@rhysf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhysf)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-can-holy-water-be-diluted/513601/1 "2009-10-13T00:07:44Z")
A few questions about holy water: 1. How much can holy water be diluted before it’s no longer holy? 2. How is it supposed to be disposed of? 3. Does holy water expire after some amount of time and become unholy again? 4. Is there a limit to the volume of water that can be blessed, for example, an entire body of water such as a lake or ocean? In particular, are there official guidelines from the Roman Catholic church or other christian denominations, or as an aside, in vampire folklore? ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-can-holy-water-be-diluted/513601/2 "2009-10-13T00:13:08Z")
I think you are trying to apply scientific/secular concepts to something that is essentially a matter of metaphysics and faith. My guess is that such an attempt is doomed to be a disappointment!..TRM ---
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-can-holy-water-be-diluted/513601/3 "2009-10-13T00:20:45Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > I think you are trying to apply scientific/secular concepts to something that is essentially a matter of metaphysics and faith. My guess is that such an attempt is doomed to be a disappointment!..TRM Not at all. The Catholic church must have rules dealing with this. The OP is simply asking what they are. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-can-holy-water-be-diluted/513601/4 "2009-10-13T00:28:49Z")
Doesn’t answer all the OP’s questions, but [this](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07432a.htm) discusses holy water. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-can-holy-water-be-diluted/513601/5 "2009-10-13T00:55:31Z")
> [@rhysf](#): > > 1. How is it supposed to be disposed of? This I know the answer of thanks to _Home Improvement_. Just another of one of those “little random things you’re suprised you know”. Holy water should be disposed of in a [piscina](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxEm-s2nzdY). ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-can-holy-water-be-diluted/513601/6 "2009-10-13T01:22:23Z")
You don’t dilute holy water – that would corrupt it. You bless what you need; if you need more, you bless more. If you need to dispose of it, you – that’s right – dispose of it in a piscina. ---
**Author:** ![rhysf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f14d63/32.png) [@rhysf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhysf)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-can-holy-water-be-diluted/513601/7 "2009-10-13T01:24:14Z")
> [@Kozmik](#): > > This I know the answer of thanks to _Home Improvement_. Just another of one of those “little random things you’re suprised you know”. > Holy water should be disposed of in a [piscina](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxEm-s2nzdY). Thanks, Kozmik. I think that answers #2. According to wikipedia: “The purpose of the piscina or sacrarium is to dispose of water used sacramentally, and particles of the consecrated Eucharist by returning these particles directly to the earth. For this reason, it is connected by a pipe directly to the ground.” I wonder what’s wrong with the sewage system. ---
**Author:** ![rhysf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f14d63/32.png) [@rhysf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhysf)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-can-holy-water-be-diluted/513601/8 "2009-10-13T01:33:40Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > You don’t dilute holy water – that would corrupt it. You bless what you need; if you need more, you bless more. If you need to dispose of it, you – that’s right – dispose of it in a piscina. Do you know if that is official Church policy? I just found [this](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/4765283.stm) story from a few years ago about holy water car washes. Maybe Baptists have different rules. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-can-holy-water-be-diluted/513601/9 "2009-10-13T01:35:14Z")
> [@rhysf](#): > > A few questions about holy water: > > 1. How much can holy water be diluted before it’s no longer holy? > 2. How is it supposed to be disposed of? > 3. Does holy water expire after some amount of time and become unholy again? > 4. Is there a limit to the volume of water that can be blessed, for example, an entire body of water such as a lake or ocean? > > In particular, are there official guidelines from the Roman Catholic church or other christian denominations, or as an aside, in vampire folklore? There is no such thing as holy water. There is simply water that someone has muttered mumbo-jumbo nonsense words over. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-can-holy-water-be-diluted/513601/10 "2009-10-13T02:10:36Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > There is no such thing as holy water. There is simply water that someone has muttered mumbo-jumbo nonsense words over. :rolleyes: This isn’t about whether holy water is real or not, but how what is considered or believed to be holy water is disposed of. And even if you don’t believe in it, at least there is such a thing CALLED holy water. Whether you believe it has powers or not is irrelevant. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-can-holy-water-be-diluted/513601/11 "2009-10-13T02:18:09Z")
Not surprisingly, wiki has a fairly good article on this: > **[Holy water](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_water)** > > Holy water is water that has been blessed by a member of the clergy or a religious figure, or derived from a well or spring considered holy. The use for cleansing prior to a baptism and spiritual cleansing is common in several religions, from Christianity to Sikhism. The use of holy water as a sacramental for protection against evil is common among Lutherans, Anglicans, Roman Catholics, and Eastern Christians. > In Catholicism, Lutheranism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and so... ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-can-holy-water-be-diluted/513601/12 "2009-10-13T02:20:46Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > There is no such thing as holy water. There is simply water that someone has muttered mumbo-jumbo nonsense words over. **Moderator note** **Clothahump**. Don’t take this so literally. As others have said. **samclem** Moderator, General Questions ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-can-holy-water-be-diluted/513601/13 "2009-10-13T02:27:46Z")
> [@rhysf](#): > > Do you know if that is official Church policy? > > I just found [this](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/4765283.stm) story from a few years ago about holy water car washes. Maybe Baptists have different rules. Baptists don’t have priests, so they don’t have water that has been blessed by priests. Baptism as performed by Baptist churches is (usually) a complete immersion into water. The water itself isn’t holy, and the body of water can be anything from a baptismal font to the local river. ---
**Author:** ![Uncertain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Uncertain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncertain)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-can-holy-water-be-diluted/513601/14 "2009-10-13T02:30:26Z")
If you dilute it serially with succussion, you get unholy water, which has the opposite effect. ---
**Author:** ![rhysf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f14d63/32.png) [@rhysf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhysf)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-can-holy-water-be-diluted/513601/15 "2009-10-13T02:33:55Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Not surprisingly, wiki has a fairly good article on this: > [Holy water - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_water) Thanks DrDeth. I should have looked there first. It’s not cited but it says that holy water can be diluted up to 1:2 with ordinary water. It sort of answers my first question although it’s unclear if this applies to a particular denomination. ---
**Author:** ![rhysf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f14d63/32.png) [@rhysf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhysf)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-can-holy-water-be-diluted/513601/16 "2009-10-13T02:36:35Z")
> [@cornflakes](#): > > Baptists don’t have priests, so they don’t have water that has been blessed by priests. Baptism as performed by Baptist churches is (usually) a complete immersion into water. The water itself isn’t holy, and the body of water can be anything from a baptismal font to the local river. Do Baptists call it holy water or is has the BBC article misused the term? ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-can-holy-water-be-diluted/513601/17 "2009-10-13T02:44:17Z")
> [@rhysf](#): > > It’s not cited but it says that holy water can be diluted up to 1:2 with ordinary water. If true, the implications are monumental. If holy water can be diluted, then it can also be concentrated by distillation or even ordinary evaporation. We’re talking weapons-grade holy water. ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-can-holy-water-be-diluted/513601/18 "2009-10-13T02:45:37Z")
So why not just bless the oceans and be done with it? ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-can-holy-water-be-diluted/513601/19 "2009-10-13T02:53:22Z")
Too salty. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-can-holy-water-be-diluted/513601/20 "2009-10-13T03:01:07Z")
> [@Desert\_Nomad](#): > > So why not just bless the oceans and be done with it? That would mean heathens could touch it! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-can-holy-water-be-diluted/513601.md?page=2)