“My girl and me just bought a new place but the water well it sucks. Got white buildup and other colors of stuff building up in the sinks and the water kit we bought, that sensafe one on your site, says we got all sorts of problems like metals too. A friend says we need a filter and a softener but I don’t know if they make a all-in-one type filter softener thing… but my girl says we gotta do something, so can you help?”

Thank you for your question Marquis and it sounds to us like you and your girlfriend have a real mess on your hands when it comes to the quality of your water.

Question: Well water or city water?

If well water, then we suggest looking in the phone book for a certified well contractor and having them come out to look at the condition of your well.

If city water we suggest contacting your local water department and requesting the latest copy of their Consumer Confidence Report, an annually published document that discusses how good (or bad) a job the department did at keeping its water quality readings in line with Federal Guidelines.

In either case, certainly get your water tested by a qualified water testing laboratory before investing – and yes, we said investing – in a water filtration and/or water conditioner for your home. Otherwise you may run the risk of purchasing the incorrect unit for your specific water remediation requirements.

In other words you may buy the wrong tool for the job… and that could mean a whole lot of wasted money and continued water quality troubles.

Cost of combination water filter & water softener

Definitely not cheap, but if you have drinking water in desperate need of improvement then investing in a whole house water filter & water softener system such as the Whole House Filter and Anti-Scale Conditioner Combo made by Crystal Quest may make sense.

With pricing for the Whole House Filter and Anti-Scale Conditioner Combo (CQE-WH-02136) starting at around $2,900 you really, really, really want to make certain you 1) Need a water filter; 2) Need a water softener; 3) Know for sure that the unit will correct the specific water quality issues that you have.

Moral of the story?

Not all water treatment options will work in every application so before you plop down your hard earned money, get your water tested by a qualified drinking water testing laboratory. If you cannot locate a local laboratory we suggest you consider using the testing services of an accredited mail-in water testing laboratory such as National Testing Labs.

Stainless Steel Counter Top
Water Filter

If you find your self reading this, then you may just have some smelly water showing up at your house, too… and no one likes smelly water! Yuck!

For the folks in Evansville, IN, above average temperatures and low river levels have resulted in an abnormally high amount of algae — ten times the normal amount — appearing in the area’s drinking water source.

Officials say that w/o a good amount of rain (to dilute) and lower temperatures (to help kill off) the algae residents will just have to deal with the bad smell and unpleasant taste.

Yep. Sounds like some folks in Indiana will most likely start searching for water filters and water purification devices REAL soon.

EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) – Recent testing of the water in Evansville revealed startling numbers to the Ohio River Sanitation Commission.

The tests showed the amount of algae in the water is ten times higher than normal.

The excess algae is due to the extreme heat and low river levels. Officials say the smell and the bad taste might be around for awhile.

“It’s going to take a significant amount of rainfall somewhere upstream within in the Ohio River basin, to get the river levels up and to get it flowing faster to help eliminate this problem,” said Roger Johnson, water superintendent for the city.

The water department says regardless of the taste and odor, the water is safe to drink. ( source )

Not to sound like the Twilight Zone again, but imagine, if you will, that you wake up one morning and the water coming out of all your faucets tastes and smells… bad. You quickly call your water company to complain and they say, “Sorry, but you will just have to deal with it for a while.”

Wow. Not a good scenario at all! Most people would scream, curse and pitch a fit at the person on the other end of the phone and then dash out to the store to get a few cases or a truckload of bottled water. Granted that may solve some of the problems — temporarily — but it will not solve them all.

Installing point-of-use water filters (i.e. undersink, counter top and shower) or a whole house water filter system, on the other hand, will solve both short term and long term water problems.