Good water that still tastes like chlorine
Treatment quality and taste at the tap are two different things. Carbon filtration takes out the chlorine without changing anything your utility is doing right.
Water filtration in Durham, North Carolina
Durham has genuinely good municipal water, and we will say so before we say anything else. Whether you want a system here is a question about what bothers you, not about whether your utility is doing its job.
Those are two different questions and they get run together constantly in this industry. A utility can be doing everything right and your water can still taste like a swimming pool, because the disinfectant that keeps it safe on the way to you does not disappear when it arrives.
What the water is like here
Durham is on municipal surface water rather than groundwater, which is the usual arrangement across this region.
Surface water needs heavier disinfection than groundwater. The chlorine taste and smell people notice is the direct result, and it is the most common reason Durham homeowners call us.
What treatment cannot do is remove everything. The regulated standards cover a specific list at specific levels; they do not cover taste, and they do not cover dissolved solids at the tap you drink from. That gap is what reverse osmosis is for.
What we actually find in Durham
What compliance does not measure
Meeting the standard is not the same as removing everything. Disinfection byproducts, dissolved solids and the things reverse osmosis handles are outside what a compliance result tells you. If those are your concern, the test shows where you actually stand.
Older homes and lead plumbing
Lead rarely comes from the treatment plant. It comes from lead service lines, solder used before 1986 and brass fixtures. A whole-home carbon filter does not remove lead; reverse osmosis at the kitchen tap does.
Systems that suit Durham
Priced on the site, as always.
City water
Carbon Only Filter
Removes chlorine, chloramine, taste and odor — no salt, no valve, no electricity. Does not soften.
- No salt
- No electricity
- Chlorine & odor gone
Regular price$3,614Sale price$2,349
Installed
35% off — ends September 30, 2026
Free reverse osmosis drinking system included
Drinking water
Reverse Osmosis — Tank-Style (5-Stage)
5-stage under-sink reverse osmosis drinking water, 100 gallons per day. Alkaline remineralizer add-on available.
- Reduces lead
- Dedicated faucet, 5 finishes
- Installation included
Regular price$1,537Sale price$999
Installed
35% off — ends September 30, 2026
Brochure — Reverse Osmosis — Tank-Style (5-Stage)Spec sheet — Reverse Osmosis — Tank-Style (5-Stage)
City water
Dual Tank (Softener + Catalytic Carbon)
Dedicated softener tank plus a dedicated catalytic carbon tank for large homes and continuous demand.
- Two dedicated tanks
- Built for 10+ residents
- Lifetime tank warranty
Regular price$4,915Sale price$3,195
Installed
35% off — ends September 30, 2026
Free reverse osmosis drinking system included
Brochure — Dual Tank (Softener + Catalytic Carbon)Spec sheet — Dual Tank (Softener + Catalytic Carbon)
All prices are for a garage or accessible waterline install. Crawl space, attic, outside or trenching installs add a $399 minimum, quoted on-site before any work begins.
Questions we get in Durham
Do I actually need a filtration system if my city water is legal?
Legal and clean aren't the same standard. Municipal water in the Triangle meets every federal and state requirement, and the utilities do their job well. But the standards regulate a specific list of contaminants at specific levels — they don't cover taste, they don't cover chlorine byproducts, and they don't cover everything that's been found in Piedmont surface water over the last decade. Whether you need a system is a question about what's actually coming out of your tap and what bothers you. That's what the free test is for. If your water's fine, we'll tell you that.
What’s the difference between whole-home filtration and reverse osmosis?
Whole-home treats every drop entering the house — showers, laundry, dishwasher, ice maker. Reverse osmosis treats a small volume very thoroughly at one tap, usually the kitchen sink, for drinking and cooking. They’re complements, not competitors. Whole-home handles chlorine, sediment, iron and smell. RO handles dissolved solids and lead at the tap you drink from. That’s why every whole-home system we sell includes an RO system free.
Is the water test really free?
Yes. We come to your home, test at your kitchen sink, and show you the results while we're standing there. No fee, no obligation, no PDF emailed to you three days later. It takes about fifteen minutes.
How long does installation take?
Most whole-home systems are a half day. A reverse osmosis drinking system under the sink is usually two to three hours. If you need both, plan on one full day.
Free water test in Durham.
Fifteen minutes at your kitchen sink, results while we are standing there, and no obligation. If your water is fine, we will tell you that.
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