What the town already does
The 2025 Water Quality Report says the water is "treated to remove hardness and afterwards it is chlorinated." The report does not publish a hardness number, so the honest way to know your level is to test at your tap. Jorge does that on the spot with a hardness test and gives you the number, in grains per gallon or parts per million.
When a softener still fits
- Your test shows more hardness than you want for your fixtures, glass and appliances.
- Commercial kitchens, laundries and gyms where water heaters, dishwashers, ice machines and washers run all day and scale is costly.
- Private wells on any property that draws its own groundwater.
- Equipment makers' requirements, when a manufacturer specifies a hardness limit for warranty.
How Living Water's softening plants work
Living Water installs ion-exchange softening plants on Puronics equipment for homes and businesses. Resin beads swap calcium and magnesium for sodium or potassium, then regenerate with brine. Metered valves regenerate based on the water you actually use rather than on a timer.
For a building on Hillsboro Mile, capacity follows daily water use, the number of units or fixtures served, and the measured hardness. Placement and drain access matter on tight oceanfront lots.
Sodium and drinking water
Ion exchange adds a small amount of sodium in proportion to the hardness removed. The town's report lists sodium at 15.7 ppm in its own water. If you prefer to keep sodium down, potassium chloride can be used instead of salt, and an under-sink RO reduces dissolved solids at the kitchen tap.
Softener or filter?
A softener does not remove chlorine, and a carbon filter does not remove hardness. If your complaint is a chemical taste or smell, the answer is probably a filter, not a softener. See softener vs. filter in Hillsboro Beach and salt-free conditioner vs. ion-exchange softener.
Questions to ask anyone selling a softener here
- What hardness did you measure at my tap, and in what units?
- Why is a softener needed when the town already treats to remove hardness?
- What capacity, and how will it be programmed to regenerate?
Book a hardness test
Call, text or WhatsApp Jorge at (305) 793-5974. He tests hardness, chlorine, pH and dissolved solids, and gives you an itemized quote only if a softener fits. Living Water offers financing through its financing partners; you apply with a credit application, and a co-applicant can apply with you.
Updated 2026-10-17 · Living Waters · Jorge Canela, Water Quality Specialist