Whole-Home Water Filtration in Opa-locka

What arrives at your meter

According to WASD's 2024 report, water for northern Miami-Dade generally comes from the Hialeah and John E. Preston plants, where Biscayne Aquifer water is softened, filtered, air-stripped and disinfected. Ammonia is added to combine with chlorine and form chloramine, which keeps protecting the water through miles of pipe, including Opa-locka's own distribution system. Opa-locka's 2024 report lists the disinfectant residual in its system at 0.2 to 4.1 ppm.

That residual is intentional. A whole-home filter takes it out once the water is on your property, where you no longer need it.

Sizing for chloramine

Chloramine needs more contact time than free chlorine, usually with catalytic carbon. A system that is too small for your home's flow lets more of it through when several fixtures run at once. Jorge looks at:

• Number of bathrooms and peak flow.
• Main line size and pipe material.
• Household size and daily use, which set media life.
• Measured chloramine at your tap.

Living Water describes its Puronics Clarius iGen and Goodspring systems as removing chlorine and chloramine. Ask for the documentation on the exact model in your quote.

Disinfection byproducts

Opa-locka's 2024 report lists total trihalomethanes at 25.55 ppb and haloacetic acids at 40.68 ppb, both within their limits of 80 and 60 ppb. These form when disinfectants react with natural organic matter. If reducing them is part of your goal, look for a system whose certification specifically lists the byproduct you care about, and check the exact model's listing. Do not assume every carbon filter carries that claim.

Installation in Opa-locka homes

• Most systems go outdoors near where the main enters, or in a garage or utility area, with a bypass valve.
• Older homes may need a new shutoff valve or repairs found during installation; a good quote says how those are handled.
• Rentals need the owner's written approval.

For the kitchen, many households add under-sink alkaline RO. Compare the two in whole-house filtration vs. RO.

The annual free-chlorine weeks

Each fall WASD temporarily switches to free chlorine and flushes hydrants; in 2025 that ran October 13 to 26. A system built for chloramine handles free chlorine too, so you should not notice much of a change at your taps during that period.

Book

Call, text or WhatsApp (305) 793-5974. Jorge measures chloramine, hardness and pH and tells you plainly whether a whole-home system is worth it for your house.

Updated 2026-10-17 · Living Waters · Jorge Canela, Water Quality Specialist