Massachusetts’ Trusted Provider for Home Water Filtration

FAQs

• Why Massachusetts’ Homes Need Water Filtration

  More than 400,000 homes in Massachusetts source their water from private wells. If you don’t live in an area that provides communally sourced water, you are likely on a well and any responsibility for water treatment is left entirely up to you as the homeowner.

  If you didn’t test your water when purchasing the home or don’t currently have a whole-home filtration system, you may be exposing yourself to harmful contaminants such as radon or arsenic, many of which are odorless and tasteless and can only be detected through a water quality test. Thankfully, a properly designed water filtration system can virtually eliminate or reduce to safe levels almost all contaminants found in your water.

  Hard water can also wreak havoc on your plumbing system, which is why Heritage also provides water softener installation services.

• Massachusetts Water Filtration Services

  With our dedicated well and water quality team, we provide our customers with a complete array of water filtration repair, maintenance, and new system installations. With Heritage, you can rest assured that your water quality issues are a thing of the past.

• Installation Services

  If you own a home that is on a private well and don’t have a water filtration system, you shouldn’t assume your water is clean. Many factors contribute to well contamination, such as naturally occurring radon and arsenic, but also

  can infiltrate your water supply through run-off from industrial sources, or by the improper disposal of chemicals and other household items.

  If you live in an area where you are concerned about your water quality, our team has a solution for you. We’ll come out and provide you with a complete water quality assessment, design a customized solution for your home, and give you the knowledge to make the right choice for your family.

  Some examples of whole-home filtration systems we provide:

  • Multi-stage sand or carbon filtration
  • Acid neutralizers
  • Iron removal systems
  • Reverse osmosis filtration
  • UV light filtration for eliminating bacteria

• Filtration Repairs and Maintenance Services

  A properly working and well-maintained whole-home filtration system is crucial to ensuring contaminants don’t reach your point of water use.

  While most simpler tasks such as replacing a filter can be done by the homeowner, issues can and do arise that require an experienced technician to address. This is why Heritage offers repair and annual maintenance services for almost all residential water filtration systems.

• Massachusetts Water Quality Testing Services

  It is important to test your water annually to ensure that you have safe, clean water. The EPA states that homeowners should test their water every year to make sure that any treatment system installed in the home is working properly.

  We can conduct water quality tests for mineral content, hardness, pH, and alkalinity on most in-home visits with one of our licensed plumbers. We can even give you the results of these tests on the same day. You can also order a lab test, which will take about two weeks. The lab will email the results of the test directly to you, and then one of our Heritage water quality experts will discuss the results with you and give you options on how to proceed.

• Water Contaminants We Test For:

  • Water Hardness: The high calcium content in hard water reacts with soap to create soap scum, making it harder to get your skin, hair, and dishes clean. When hard water is heated, solid deposits of calcium carbonate can form. This scale can reduce the life of equipment, lower the efficiency of water heaters, and clog pipes.
  • Low pH & Alkalinity: When pH is low, your household plumbing pipes may leach copper into the water causing green stains on bathroom sinks and porcelain surfaces
  • Iron: High iron makes drinking water, coffee, and teas taste metallic. Iron can also leave stains on fabrics and fixtures such as sinks and toilets, and it can build up inside your pipes.
  • Manganese: At concentrations greater than 0.05 milligrams per liter (mg/L), manganese may cause a noticeable color, odor, or taste in water. Water with a manganese concentration greater than 0.3 mg/L is considered dangerous can result in manganese toxicity.

  • Radon: When water that contains radon is used for showering, washing dishes, and cooking, radon gas escapes from the water and goes into the air. This can damage lung tissue and increase your chances of developing lung cancer over the course of your lifetime.
  • Arsenic: Low levels of arsenic in drinking water, soil, air, and food pose a health risk over time. Arsenic health effects include diseases that can affect the cardiovascular system, kidneys, skin, nervous system, or lead to various forms of cancer.
  • Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA): Perfluorochemicals (PFCs) are a group of chemicals used to make fluoropolymer coatings and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease, and water. The human health effects from exposure to low environmental levels of PFOA are unknown. In laboratory animals given large amounts, PFOA can affect growth and development, reproduction, and injure the liver.

• What contaminants can a water filtration system remove?

  Depending on the system, water filtration can remove chlorine, sediment, iron, manganese, bacteria, lead, and other contaminants common in Massachusetts water supplies. Heritage will test your water to identify specific issues and recommend the right filtration solution.

• What is the difference between a whole-house filter and an under-sink filter?

  A whole-house filtration system treats all the water entering your home, while an under-sink filter only treats water at a single point of use, typically the kitchen faucet. Heritage can install either option depending on your needs and budget.

• How often do water filters need to be replaced?

  Most water filters need replacement every 3 to 12 months depending on the type of system and your water usage. Neglecting filter changes can reduce water quality and flow. Heritage offers maintenance services to keep your filtration system working effectively.

• Is Massachusetts tap water safe to drink without a filter?

  While Massachusetts public water meets federal safety standards, it can still contain chlorine, trace contaminants, or minerals that affect taste and quality. Homes with private wells may face additional concerns like bacteria or iron. A filtration system from Heritage provides an extra layer of protection.

• How much does a water filtration system cost to install?

  Costs vary based on the type of system, ranging from a few hundred dollars for an under-sink unit to several thousand for a whole-house system. Heritage provides free estimates and helps you choose a system that fits your water quality needs and budget.