Softening already happens upstream
WASD's 2025 report says its Hialeah plant treats water with lime, and its John E. Preston plant uses enhanced softening because its source water carries more natural organic material. WASD says those two plants generally serve residents north of SW 8 Street, which includes Surfside. Plant softening reduces hardness without eliminating it, and some calcium can settle in pipes over time; the Town's own Public Works guide mentions calcium and mineral deposits in distribution pipes.
Signs a softener could help
- White crust on shower heads and faucet aerators that returns within days.
- Spots on glass shower doors even after a squeegee.
- A tankless water heater that needs frequent descaling.
- Soap and shampoo that do not lather well.
If your main complaint is taste or a pool smell, a softener will not help; that is chloramine. See softener vs. filter.
Houses versus condo units
An ion-exchange softener needs a resin tank, a brine tank, power and a drain for regeneration. In a Surfside house, a garage or side yard usually works. In a condo unit there is rarely room, and associations may restrict equipment that drains into building lines. Unit owners get more from under-sink RO for drinking water.
Beach businesses
Living Water installs ion-exchange softening plants for hotels, restaurants, schools, laundries, gyms and offices. Along Surfside's Harding and Collins corridors, that means kitchens with dishwashers and ice machines and hotels with laundry and boilers. Sizing comes from daily water use and tested hardness, and your meter history from the Town helps.
Sodium and the drinking tap
WASD lists sodium at 33 ppm for its main system in 2025. A softener adds a little more sodium to softened water. Some households leave the kitchen cold tap unsoftened or add RO there. Mention it during the test if anyone at home watches sodium.
Questions to ask any softener seller
- What hardness did you measure at my tap, and what capacity does that call for?
- Is the valve metered or timer-based?
- How much salt and water will regeneration use at my household's use?
- Will the sprinkler line bypass the softener?
- How should it be set when the house is empty for the season?
Clear answers to these are worth more than any brochure.
Salt-based vs. salt-free
Living Water installs ion-exchange softeners, which remove hardness minerals. Salt-free conditioners work differently and do not remove hardness. Read salt-free conditioner vs. ion-exchange softener. Then call, text or WhatsApp Jorge at (305) 793-5974 for a free hardness test.
https://www.miamidade.gov/resources/water/documents/2025-water-quality-report.pdf
https://www.miamidade.gov/global/water/water-supply-and-treatment.page
https://www.townofsurfsidefl.gov/docs/default-source/town-news-articles/water-quality-explained-by-public-works.jpg
Updated 2026-10-17 · Living Waters · Jorge Canela, Water Quality Specialist