Options side by side
| Option | Strength | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Pitcher | Cheap, portable | Small capacity; often listed for chlorine, not chloramine |
| Refrigerator filter | Built in | Small cartridge, short contact time |
| Under-sink alkaline RO | Multi-stage, dedicated faucet | Needs cabinet space and a drain |
| Whole-home system | Every tap and shower | Not a drinking-water polisher on its own |
What Plantation's water means for the choice
The city's water goes through membrane softening, then degasification to remove hydrogen sulfide, then chlorine and ammonia for disinfection. The 2025 report lists the residual at an average of 2.27 ppm. In practice, a Plantation drinking water system mostly needs to handle chloramine taste well, which is where multi-stage RO with carbon stages fits.
Why alkaline RO
Living Water offers multi-stage alkaline reverse osmosis for homes, offices, apartments and gyms, each with its own drinking-water faucet. After the RO membrane, an alkaline stage returns some minerals to the water, a taste many households prefer to plain RO water. See under-sink RO in Plantation and the compact alkaline RO page.
When whole-home makes sense too
If the chloramine smell bothers you in the shower as well as in your glass, pair the RO faucet with a whole-home system. If only drinking water matters, RO alone is the simpler project.
Condos, offices and gyms
In a Plantation condo or apartment, an under-sink RO unit is usually the only practical option, since the main line is not yours to change. Offices and gyms use the same kind of unit in a break room; the size depends on how many people drink from it each day and whether it feeds a cooler or ice machine. In every case, the filter schedule should be clear before installation.
How to choose
- Test at the kitchen tap.
- Decide what you care about: taste, convenience, a fridge line, or a specific contaminant.
- For any specific contaminant, choose a model certified for it under NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 and check the listing.
- Ask for the filter schedule in writing.
Jorge walks through these steps with you during the free visit.
https://www.plantation.org/home/showdocument?id=8212
https://www.plantation.org/government/departments/utilities/programs/water-treatment
Updated 2026-10-17 · Living Waters · Jorge Canela, Water Quality Specialist