What the work is
Reverse osmosis pushes water through a membrane that removes dissolved solids, which is what a softener does not do. It is the answer for taste, and for total dissolved solids in the higher-TDS parts of the system.
The thing to ask about is not the unit but the cartridges. Proprietary filters that only one company sells are how a cheap system becomes expensive. We install units with standard-size cartridges you can buy anywhere.
What is included
- The unit, mounted and plumbed under the sink
- A dedicated faucet at the sink
- Drain saddle to a legal connection
- Connection to a fridge or ice maker where you want one
- Writing down which cartridges it takes and how often
What is not
- Whole-house treatment
- Cutting a stone countertop for the faucet, if there is no spare hole. Quoted separately with a stone fabricator
- Filter changes after the first year, unless you ask us to schedule them
Why TDS matters on some streets and not others
No water quality report in the county publishes hardness; it is not a federally required parameter. St. George blends spring, well and Virgin River sources, and its 2024 report shows total dissolved solids from 118 to 936 ppm and sulfate from 1.38 to 451 ppm depending on which blend feeds your street. A city-wide number is not your number. A recommendation should come from a test at your tap.
If your water tastes different from a friend's across town, that is not your imagination. It is which source blend reaches your street, and it changes through the year as the city blends.
What to ask anyone quoting this, us included
- What cartridges does it take, and can I buy them anywhere?
- What is my TDS before and after?
- Where does the drain go?