Frequently asked
Questions we get, answered plainly
If the answer you need isn't here, ask us. A real person reads every message and we'll tell you if the honest answer is that you don't need anything.
The test and the visit
Is the water test a sales pitch?
No color-changing drops, no demos and no two-hour pitch. We use calibrated meters, your utility's own water report and a certified lab for health contaminants and wells. You get a written report with your address, the date and the method.
What if the numbers don't change?
Before we install, we write down the target the system has to hit, on paper, with your address and the method. After the install we test the same taps the same way. If the after number misses the target, you get your money back. We will give you the full written terms before you agree to anything.
Do I have to buy something after the test?
No. You get the report either way. If your water is already fine, we say so and we don't sell you a system.
Why does carbon go before the softener?
Chlorine and chloramine are hard on softener resin. Putting catalytic carbon first protects the resin and gives every tap chlorine-free water.
Can I use my water district's report instead of testing?
It is a good starting point and we always read it. But it reports the system, not your house. Hardness varies by treatment plant and season, and lead comes from your own service line and plumbing, which no district report can measure for you.
Cost and the guarantee
What if the numbers don't change?
Before we install, we write down the target the system has to hit, on paper, with your address and the method. After the install we test the same taps the same way. If the after number misses the target, you get your money back. We will give you the full written terms before you agree to anything.
Do I have to buy something after the test?
No. You get the report either way. If your water is already fine, we say so and we don't sell you a system.
What's included when you quote me?
The equipment, a licensed plumber install, the permit where a city requires one, the before test and the after test. We quote after we have measured, because your hardness and your flow rate decide the size — and a quote written before anyone has measured is a guess.
What does a certified lab test cost, and is it worth it?
Our in-home test of hardness, total chlorine and TDS is part of the visit. A certified lab panel is a separate cost, and we credit it toward an install if you go ahead. It is worth it when the question cannot be answered at the tap: lead, PFAS, bacteria, nitrate, arsenic or uranium, and for every private well.
Do you install systems I bought myself?
Usually not. Our guarantee depends on the equipment being sized correctly for your water and your flow, and on us knowing exactly what is in the system. If you already own something, we will tell you honestly whether it fits your water.
Water softeners
Will I lose water pressure?
A system sized for your home and your flow shouldn't cause a pressure drop you notice. That's why we size tanks to your bathrooms and household, not to a sales sheet. Tell us if pressure is already an issue and we'll check it during the test.
Do I need a softener in Boulder, Longmont or Fort Collins?
Usually not. City water there is already soft, so a softener wouldn't change the hardness number. If the taste or smell bothers you, whole-home carbon or drinking-water RO is the better fit.
Why does carbon go before the softener?
Chlorine and chloramine are hard on softener resin. Putting catalytic carbon first protects the resin and gives every tap chlorine-free water.
Whole-home carbon
Isn't Denver water fine?
It's treated and safe to drink. What most people notice is the taste and smell of the disinfectant. The test shows what's actually in your tap, and if there's nothing to fix, we tell you.
Will I lose water pressure?
A system sized for your home and your flow shouldn't cause a pressure drop you notice. That's why we size tanks to your bathrooms and household, not to a sales sheet. Tell us if pressure is already an issue and we'll check it during the test.
Do I need a softener in Boulder, Longmont or Fort Collins?
Usually not. City water there is already soft, so a softener wouldn't change the hardness number. If the taste or smell bothers you, whole-home carbon or drinking-water RO is the better fit.
Why does carbon go before the softener?
Chlorine and chloramine are hard on softener resin. Putting catalytic carbon first protects the resin and gives every tap chlorine-free water.
Reverse osmosis
Does reverse osmosis waste water?
Some. An RO membrane sends a stream of concentrate to the drain as it makes clean water. Modern systems are far more efficient than older ones, and it only runs when the tank is refilling.
Well water
Why do you need a lab test for a well?
Wells vary too much to guess. Iron, sulfur, hardness, bacteria, nitrate, arsenic and uranium all need different equipment. A certified lab result tells us what to build and sets the targets we have to hit.
How often should I test well water in Colorado?
Once a year for bacteria and nitrate as a baseline, and after any work on the well, any flooding, or any change in taste, smell or color. Jefferson County Public Health offers free bacteria and nitrate kits to county well owners while supplies last, and CDPHE runs a program offering free PFAS testing for private wells. Use those first if they answer your question.
Certified lab testing
Why do you need a lab test for a well?
Wells vary too much to guess. Iron, sulfur, hardness, bacteria, nitrate, arsenic and uranium all need different equipment. A certified lab result tells us what to build and sets the targets we have to hit.
What does a certified lab test check?
It depends on your question: lead, PFAS, bacteria, or a full private-well panel. We help you pick the right panel, and the lab result comes with a plain-English summary.
How often should I test well water in Colorado?
Once a year for bacteria and nitrate as a baseline, and after any work on the well, any flooding, or any change in taste, smell or color. Jefferson County Public Health offers free bacteria and nitrate kits to county well owners while supplies last, and CDPHE runs a program offering free PFAS testing for private wells. Use those first if they answer your question.
What does a certified lab test cost, and is it worth it?
Our in-home test of hardness, total chlorine and TDS is part of the visit. A certified lab panel is a separate cost, and we credit it toward an install if you go ahead. It is worth it when the question cannot be answered at the tap: lead, PFAS, bacteria, nitrate, arsenic or uranium, and for every private well.
Can I use my water district's report instead of testing?
It is a good starting point and we always read it. But it reports the system, not your house. Hardness varies by treatment plant and season, and lead comes from your own service line and plumbing, which no district report can measure for you.
Ask us the same questions you ask everyone else
We wrote a twelve-question checklist that works on any water treatment company in this market, including us. Our answers to all twelve are in it.
Get in touch
Start with a measurement
Tell us where you are and what you've noticed. We test at your tap, and you keep the readings whether or not you buy anything.
- 18 Front Range towns — see the list.
- A real person reads every submission.
- No obligation, and no pitch if your water is fine.