In metropolitan areas, potable water is delivered through a municipal supply, which collects, treats, and distributes water for a city’s population. While this process removes pathogens, contaminants, and impurities in raw water, the result often doesn’t live up to ideal standards of taste and cleanliness. It’s still possible for treated water to have traces of microorganisms, bacteria, and chemicals.
Whole house water filtration systems and water softeners pick up where municipal treatment leaves off, ensuring cleaner drinking water and peace of mind.
The Quality of City Water
The water supply in urban areas undergoes rigorous treatment by a municipal water system, removing sediments, contaminants, and even harmful pathogens that can exist in unprocessed water. However, this isn’t enough to keep city water free from impurities.
Due to urban runoff, pollutants from vehicles, factories, and construction are carried into the water supply by rainwater running into storm drains. In rare cases, aging pipes can even contaminate water with trace amounts of lead.
While treated city water is clean and safe to drink, the sediments, organic matter, and trace amounts of toxic metals found in urban runoff are not. A whole-house water filtration system is a great way to nullify urban runoff pollution, ensuring water is entirely safe to drink.
What is Hard Water?
Hard water is the result of water distributed from groundwater sources or rivers with limestone beds. Hard water contains a high content of minerals like calcium and magnesium. Unfortunately, like pollution from urban runoff, it’s also a common water quality problem in cities.
The telltale signs of hard water:
- Water has a mineral-like, chalky taste
- Soap-scum residue is left on the surface of dishes
- Dry skin or hair after bathing or showering
- Stains on dishes and surfaces from mineral residue
- Mineral buildup in appliances damages them over time
What is a Whole-House Water Filtration System?
Water filtration systems remove the sediments and other contaminants in water missed by the municipal water treatment process, guaranteeing cleaner, clearer water. Whole-house water filtration systems use a multi-stage process to physically or chemically remove a wide variety of impurities, making the water in your home safer to ingest and use.
| Common Water Contaminants | ||||
| Sediment Dirt, rust, gravel, silt, and other small solid debris | Chlorine Often used to disinfect municipal water, chlorine results in an unpleasant taste | Metals Such as lead and copper that come from urban runoff | Bacteria Harmful bacteria including e-coli and salmonella | Chemicals Some filters can remove chemicals such as pesticides, radon, and solvents |
How do Whole-House Water Filtration Systems Work?
Whole-house water filtration systems connect to a home’s main water line, filtering and cleaning well water the moment it enters the home. filtered water to everything from the faucet to the shower, to appliances like washing machines and dishwashers. Most water filtration systems for residential use are “point of entry” (POE) filters because they remove contaminants the moment water enters the home.
Whole-house water filtration systems purify water through a two-step process.
Step 1. Pre-Filter Screening
When water enters the home through the water line, the filtration process begins. This water first passes through a pre-filter, a screen that strains particles from the water, removing contaminants around 5 microns or larger.
This pre-filter works like a cartridge filter, meaning it needs to be replaced every few months to ensure it stays effective.
Step 2. Activated Carbon Filter
Municipal water companies use chemicals like chlorine to treat city water, but these chemicals can be harsh and tend to remain in tap water after treatment.
Activated carbon filters (found in most whole-house water filtration systems) decrease the content of chlorine and other chemicals in the water while filtering out microscopic sediments and contaminants missed during pre-filtering.
What is Water Softening?
When eliminating hard water, water filtration systems alone aren’t enough. This is the purpose of a water softener. Water softeners use an ion exchange process to draw out hard water’s high mineral and sediment content, making it cleaner, safer, and more palatable.
How do Water Softeners Work?
Treated water is considered hard water when it contains a high concentration of minerals, usually calcium and magnesium. A water softener cycles out these minerals, returning the water to its normal state.
Step 1. Water enters the Softener
Like a whole-house water filtration system, water softeners attach directly to a home’s main water line. When city water enters a home through the water line, it passes through the softener for processing.
Step 2. Removal of Minerals
Instead of straining out particles with a filter, water softeners remove minerals using a tank with thousands of resin beads. Calcium, magnesium, and other minerals in the water cling to the beads, replacing them with sodium. Now mineral-free, the softened water exits the tank.
Step 3. Resin Bead Regeneration
Once the water exits the tank, it’s time to clean the resin beads in a process called regeneration. A saltwater brine solution flows through the tank, rinsing the beads and replacing the minerals they’ve collected with new sodium.
The minerals collected from the hard water and the brine solution are flushed down a nearby drain. Now the resin beads are refreshed and ready to soften more hard water.
The Benefits of Water Filtration and Softening
Considering the dangerous contaminants that urban runoff and other factors can introduce into city water, the benefits of filtration and softening are crucial to ensuring your water is safe to use.
Together, water filtration and water softening systems present three main benefits:
1. Improves the quality of city water
2. Keeps skin and hair from becoming dry
3. Ensures longer lifespans for pipes, fixtures, and appliances
1. Improves the Quality of City Water
Whole-house water filtration systems and water softeners remove harmful sediments, toxic metals, chemicals, and various other contaminants that often exist in city water even after treatment. The result is water that tastes better, looks clearer, and is safer for drinking, cooking, and other daily uses.
2. Softens Skin and Hair
The minerals and impurities in contaminated & hard water can be abrasive on skin and hair. The result is dry hair and skin after showering, bathing, or just washing hands. When these minerals and impurities are removed, the resulting soft water is much gentler on skin and hair, preventing dryness.
3. Ensure Longer Life for Pipes, Fixtures, and Appliances
Water with a high mineral content causes these minerals to build up, coating pipes, fixtures, and appliances in a residue of silt. These traces of sediment accumulate over time, damaging appliances and pipes from the inside. Chemicals like chlorine can also degrade the rubber components of appliances over time.
Water filtration and softening systems eliminate these contaminants, allowing appliances, pipes, and fixtures to enjoy a longer life.
| Sterling SCT-1 Series Carbon Filter/Softener Combo For thorough elimination of the minerals and chemicals contaminating city water, the Sterling SCT-1 Series is the best whole-house water filtration system for city water. This all-in-one filtration and softener system combo unit is a self-contained, easy-to-use method to soften and purify your home’s water. SCT-1 Series softeners eliminate calcium and magnesium buildup, while also removing chlorine and other chemicals via an activated carbon filter. The SCT-1 Series units are designed for simple maintenance, with a hefty 220 lb. brine tank, reducing the need for frequent salt refills. |
Capital: Expert Water Filtration and Softener Installation and Maintenance
At Capital, our experienced technicians install and maintain quality water filtration and softening systems; keeping your drinking water clear of harmful chemicals, and your appliances safe from damaging mineral buildup.
Not only do we partner with reputable brands, like Sterling, but we also offer 24/7 maintenance and repair services, ensuring your appliances are working efficiently whenever you need them. Contact us to learn more.
