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Last Revised: 1/17/2025
Have you ever noticed stubborn water spots on your freshly cleaned dishes or felt like your skin is unusually dry after a shower? Maybe you’ve wondered why your drinking water has a funny taste to it.
Many households that rely on public city water face challenges like hard water and unpleasant chlorine tastes, but the problems run deeper than that. Mineral buildup is common in homes that use city water, which can wreak havoc on plumbing systems and reduce the efficiency and lifespan of appliances like water heaters, washing machines, and dishwashers.
Your daily routine can even be caught in the crosshairs of poor water quality as continually showering with hard water can lead to dry skin and brittle hair.
The good news? A city water conditioning package can combat these problems, transforming the quality of your home’s water supply and securing your household’s energy efficiency.
In this article, we’ll give you everything you need to know about city water quality, starting with the challenges and potential health risks and what’s included in a city water conditioning package. We’ll break down all the benefits you’ll see by investing in the system, and how you can maintain a healthy water supply into the future.
First, it’s important to know the ways that city water can be a potential risk to you, your appliances, and your plumbing system.
Understanding the Common Challenges of City Water
90% of people in the United States get their water supply from public city water, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). And in densely populated urban areas, that number is closer to 100%. Many professional plumbers would consider this to be a positive, as (unlike well water) city water is subject to stringent treatment regulations imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and local municipalities. These regulations are set in place to ensure specific water quality aspects like pH, heavy metals, bacteria, and total dissolved solids (TDS) are all safe and healthy.
You can see why many people opt in for city water.
However, while most aspects of water quality are addressed in city water, no system is perfect, and two challenges in particular can persist. First, there are no regulations on the hardness of city water. As water becomes rich in calcium and magnesium, it becomes “harder,” leading to problems like dry hair and skin, dish stains, and appliance efficiency losses. Second, chloramines and chlorine can also persist in city water after being introduced to kill bacteria. These chemicals can cause health problems from overexposure, not to mention they give drinking water a bad taste.
You can start to see how, while city water addresses many water quality concerns, there are a few gaps in treatment that can potentially lead to a few risks in your home. The city water conditioning package is designed specifically to combat these common challenges, leaving you with a water supply that’s safe and healthy for you, your plumbing system, and your water-based appliances.
What’s Included in a City Water Conditioning Package?
The City Water Conditioning Package combines specialized carbon filters with a water softener to provide a holistic approach to treating your home’s public water supply. It’s designed to address the most common public water issues and is a popular choice for public buildings and homes alike. Here’s a breakdown of how the water treatment system works to improve water quality:
1. Activated & Catalytic Carbon Filters: Specialized Chlorine & Chloramine Removal
Chlorine and chloramines (which are a combination of chlorine and ammonia) are often added to water at public treatment facilities to kill harmful bacteria and pathogens. However, they can potentially become out of balance and persist at higher-than-normal levels after sanitizing large amounts of groundwater. If your tap water has a chemical taste and/or smell, your health may be at risk, and you should consider removing the excess chlorine and chloramines with carbon filters. Here’s how that removal process occurs:
First, activated carbon filters use a finely porous surface to trap chlorine molecules, effectively removing them from the water. Chloramines are a bit harder to remove than chlorine, and require a catalytic carbon filter, which is specifically designed to target and chemically break down the molecules. Once chloramines have been broken down, they’re removed from the water.
Chlorine and chloramines pose adverse short and long-term health risks. Think about how these chemicals are commonly used in cleaning products. Installing the city water conditioning package in your home will ensure that your drinking water is safe and healthy for you and your family.
2. Water Softeners: Combat the Challenges of Hard Water
City water faces many regulations, however none of them pertain to the hardness of the water (the mineral composition of water.) This can become a concern for a variety of reasons, including the health of your skin and hair as well as the efficiency of water-based appliances. Most notably, the performance and lifespan of water heaters are significantly hindered by hard water if not routinely flushed. Water softeners are a part of the city water conditioning package that combats water hardness using a process called ion exchange.
In a water softener, water passes through a resin bed containing sodium ions. When hard water flows through, the calcium and magnesium ions are exchanged for the sodium ions, effectively softening the water. Over time, the resin bed becomes saturated with calcium and magnesium and must be replenished with new sodium beads.
Soft water not only improves the health and performance of your plumbing system and water-based appliances but also supports the health of your skin and hair when showering.
Additional Water Filtration Options: Neutralizers, The Big Blue Sediment Filter & Seagull IV Filter
Installing a city water conditioning system is a great step towards securing safe and healthy drinking water for your family and protecting your plumbing and appliances. There are a few other systems that can further improve your water quality that may be worth considering. The quality of city water is strictly regulated for pH, heavy metals, and bacteria, however there is always the potential for concerns to pop up on water advisory boards. When the unforeseen happens, these additional water treatment systems can protect your home’s water.
Neutralizer: Address the Hazards of Acidic Water
City water should have a healthy pH level (between 6.5 and 7.5), however there is always the risk that an unforeseen event can lead to acidic water in your home’s supply. Acidic water can damage your home’s plumbing, leading to more frequent repairs and replacements of integral piping systems. Neutralizers use crushed limestone to raise pH levels, which effectively protects your home’s network of pipes by ensuring that your water stays stable and safe.
Big Blue Sediment Filter: Reduce Physical Sediment in Your Water
The Big Blue Sediment Filter is tasked with removing microscopic particles such as sand and rust. Not only does this keep your drinking water clear, but it also supports the performance, efficiency, and lifespan of appliances like your water heater, washing machine, and dishwasher.
Seagull IV Filter: Bacteria Removal
The Seagull IV filtration system is designed to capture microscopic bacteria and viruses, offering an added layer of water quality protection. This filter can be installed directly to the point of use, commonly below a kitchen sink. Seagull IV filters are commonly recommended for homes that rely on well water, however city water users may see benefits as well. Don’t hesitate to talk to your professional plumber about whether your home is a good fit for this advanced filter system.
Each of these components plays a vital role in keeping your home’s water supply safe and healthy, and together they provide a robust approach to maintaining your water quality, regardless of its public treatment. We always recommend staying in tune with any ongoing water advisories, however, a city water conditioning package will safeguard you from any potential threats to your water.
The Top 5 Benefits of a City Water Conditioning Package
Investing in a city water conditioning package can significantly improve your household. Here are the top benefits of installing this package:
1. Protect Your Water-Based Appliances
Sediment buildup occurs when hard water is repeatedly heated (as it is in your water heater, washing machine, and dishwasher), and will eventually damage the performance of the heating elements in all these water-based appliances. The result is a decrease in the performance of these units, higher energy bills as they consume more electricity or fuel, and shorter appliance lifespans.
Introducing a city water conditioning package, which contains a water softener, will keep your water supply at a level that’s healthy for all these systems. By managing the hardness of your water, you’re protecting your home’s functionality, efficiency, and comfort.
2. Protect Your Plumbing System
Just as sediment buildup from hard water can damage the health of your appliances, it can also do a number on the pipes that hold your plumbing system together. Scale buildup within your pipes can reduce water flow, hindering energy efficiency and the water pressure at fixtures like sinks and showers. The issues don’t stop there – if you have hard water in your home for long enough, it can take years off your plumbing system’s life and lead to costly repairs.
A city water conditioning system safeguards your pipes from the risks of sediment buildup, preventing unexpected costs and other issues like poor water flow at your sinks and showers. Additionally, if you have acidic water, a neutralizer can be equally important to protecting your existing plumbing system from unnecessary damage. Installing these water treatment systems is a long-term investment in your existing plumbing that’ll pay off in the future.
3. Improve the Quality of Your Water
For many, improving water quality for drinking and showering is the primary reason to install water conditioning systems, and for good reason. Without addressing the potential risks that come with city water, you’re susceptible to both short-term issues (like water that smells and tastes funny) and long-term consequences of excess chlorine exposure.
Also, the importance of healthy water in the shower can’t be overstated – continually showering with hard water can lead to more than just uncomfortably dry skin and hair. Prolonged exposure to hard water can also exacerbate conditions like eczema and psoriasis and lead to premature signs of aging.
City water conditioning packages offer a robust solution to all these issues, improving water quality for drinking, cooking, and showering – making your house a healthy place to call home.
4. Reduced Energy & Water Bills
Water softeners directly improve the energy efficiency of all your water-based appliances if you’re currently dealing with hard water. Consider that every piece of equipment will wear down and become less efficient over time, and hard water expedites this process for water heaters, washing machines, and dishwashers.
Installing a city water conditioning package gets your household back on track for sustained savings on energy and water bills.
5. Environmental Friendliness
A lesser-known benefit of city water conditioning packages is that they’re a step in the right direction when it comes to reducing your carbon footprint. For the same reasons that they’ll lower your energy and water bills, they’ll also create a more sustainable, green household. By addressing hard water, your home will consume less energy and waste less water every time you run your washing machine and dishwasher.
Also, by improving the quality of your drinking water, a city water conditioning package can limit your reliance on bottled water. This is a major step towards sustainability as it cuts down on plastics and the carbon emissions associated with them.
The Most Critical Step: Regular Maintenance of Filters, Water Conditioning Systems, and Plumbing Appliances
Keeping your home’s water supply healthy for you, your plumbing system, and your appliances isn’t a “once and done” task. It’s an ongoing responsibility to make sure that your drinking water is safe, and your household doesn’t run into avoidable problems. Ignoring simple maintenance steps can lead to a buildup of contaminants once again.
Testing your water once every 1-3 years is a simple and effective step that can alert you of any recent changes to things like water hardness, pH, and the levels of bacteria, chlorine, and chloramines in your water.
Your city water conditioning package itself must also be maintained to support long-term water quality. Filters need to be replaced routinely as they’re used, and sodium resin must be replenished in water softeners as needed to maintain the effectiveness of these systems. Booking a maintenance appointment through Mattioni’s VIP membership is a great way to support the long-term health of your systems and water quality.
Taking these simple steps will ensure that you’re getting the most out of your city water conditioning system each and every day.
Who Can Benefit Most from a City Water Conditioning Package?
Installing a city water conditioning package improves the quality of your drinking water, the efficiency of your appliances, and your day-to-day lifestyle. While any homeowner who relies on public water will see the benefits of these systems, there are a few telltale signs that your home may be a particularly good fit for one.
Water that tastes or smells odd, persistent stains on your faucets, and repeated plumbing repairs are all indications that you may want to invest in this water treatment system. Also, if you’re a proactive homeowner who seeks opportunities to increase your household’s energy efficiency, then this system may also be for you.
The plumbing experts at Mattioni have been assisting homeowners as they seek to improve water quality for over 75 years. We take time to learn about the specific challenges your home is facing, by conducting comprehensive testing that ensures we deliver the appropriate water treatment system for your home.
Don’t ignore your home’s water quality – start by testing with either a test strip kit or a digital meter. If you’re dealing with hard water, acidic water, or an excess of chlorine and chloramines, the city water conditioning package can be an asset to your home.
Water is at the center of our daily lives – we drink it, shower with it, and rely on it for washing out dishes and clothes. Keeping it safe and healthy with a city water conditioning package can transform your home into a more comfortable, convenient, and efficient place to live. Don’t wait until it’s too late – call Mattioni’s team of plumbing pros at (610) 400-8510 or book a free consultation online today.