Straight answers about Pennsylvania water and radon.
The questions homeowners across Lancaster, Chester, Berks, York and Dauphin counties ask us most — answered plainly, with real numbers and no sales pitch.
How much does a water softener cost in Pennsylvania?
In southeastern Pennsylvania, a professionally installed whole-home water softener typically runs about $2,000 to $4,000, depending on the size of the home, how hard the water is, and whether iron removal is needed. Softener-plus-filtration packages for well water usually land between $4,000 and $7,500, and a reverse osmosis drinking-water system adds roughly $800 to $1,500.
Read the answer WaterWhat water hardness level is considered high?
Water is considered hard above 7 grains per gallon (about 120 mg/L) and very hard above 10.5 grains per gallon (180 mg/L). Most of southeastern Pennsylvania's limestone country tests between 12 and 25 grains per gallon, which is firmly in the very hard range and is enough to scale a water heater within a few years.
Read the answer Air & RadonIs radon common in Lancaster County and southeastern PA?
Yes. Pennsylvania has some of the highest indoor radon levels in the United States, and a large share of homes tested in Lancaster, Berks, Chester and York counties come back above the EPA action level of 4.0 pCi/L. The Reading Prong, which runs through Berks, Montgomery and Lehigh counties, is one of the best-known high-radon geologic formations in the country.
Read the answer WaterWhat should I test my well water for in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania does not regulate private wells, so testing is entirely on the homeowner. At minimum, test annually for total coliform bacteria and E. coli, nitrate, pH, hardness, iron and manganese, and total dissolved solids. In farm country add nitrate every year, and test for lead if the home has older plumbing.
Read the answer WaterWhy does my city water smell like chlorine, and can I remove it?
Public water systems in Pennsylvania are required to keep a disinfectant residual in the pipes, which is why treated city water smells and tastes like chlorine at the tap. A whole-home activated carbon filter removes chlorine taste and odor; chloramine, which some systems use instead, needs a catalytic carbon media with more contact time.
Read the answer WaterHow do I get rid of iron staining and rotten-egg smell in well water?
Orange-brown staining is dissolved iron; the rotten-egg smell is hydrogen sulfide gas, often paired with sulfur bacteria. Both are removed by oxidation followed by filtration — typically an air-injection or catalytic media tank ahead of the softener — not by a water softener alone.
Read the answerWant your own numbers?
We'll test your water free, in your home, anywhere in southeastern PA.