Water Softener vs. Filter in West Park

Match the complaint to the tool

Most complaints in homes on county water fall in the first row.

What the plant already did

Hollywood lime-softens and membrane-filters Biscayne Aquifer water and treats Floridan Aquifer water with reverse osmosis. Hardness has been reduced before the water reaches West Park. What stays in the water by design is the chloramine residual, reported at 3.1 ppm for District 3BC in 2025.

In other words, the plant addressed hardness and the county pipes carry a disinfectant on purpose. The second one is the one most people notice at home.

When you need both

• A home on a well with hard water and iron.
• A restaurant that needs scale protection for equipment and better-tasting water for customers.

Read softener vs. filter: which do you need.

A quick check at home

1. Smell a glass of cold tap water. Pool smell means chloramine.
2. Look inside your kettle. Thick crust means hardness; a light film is normal.
3. Note whether the issue is hot only, cold only or both.

If the kettle is clean but the water smells like a pool, you have your answer: look at a filter rated for chloramine.

Bundles

If someone offers a softener-plus-filter package for a home on county water, ask for the measured hardness that justifies the softener. Jorge will tell you if you do not need it.

For businesses

A West Park restaurant or laundry may need both: a softener to protect water heaters, dishwashers and ice machines from scale, and a filter so drinks and food taste right. Equipment manuals often list maximum hardness for incoming water. Living Water installs ion-exchange softening plants for businesses after testing.

Renters

If you rent, a softener is rarely an option. A pitcher certified for chloramine, or an under-sink RO with the landlord's permission, addresses the more common complaint: taste and smell.

Call, text or WhatsApp (305) 793-5974.

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