Water Softener & Filtration Installation in Fairfax, VA
Fairfax homes get moderately hard to hard water from Fairfax Water, disinfected with chloramine. We soften it, remove the disinfectant and polish your drinking water for $2,499 installed.
What is in Fairfax's water
Fairfax homes sit in the middle of Fairfax Water's 5 to 10 grain hardness range. The most common calls we get from Fairfax are white scale on faucets and shower doors, a water heater that has started rumbling, and a noticeable pool smell every spring when the utility flushes with free chlorine.
Seasonal changes
Each spring the system switches to free chlorine for several weeks to flush the distribution pipes. Many homeowners notice a stronger pool smell during that window.
Lead and older plumbing
Lead does not come from the treatment plant. It comes from older home plumbing: pre-1986 solder, older brass fixtures and, in some neighborhoods, lead service lines.
PFAS: Utilities that draw from the Potomac have reported low-level PFAS detections in routine monitoring. EPA finalized limits for PFOA and PFOS in 2024. An under-sink reverse osmosis system certified to NSF/ANSI 58 is the practical fix at the tap you drink from.
Water utility
Fairfax Water
The City of Fairfax sold its water system to Fairfax Water in 2014, so city and county addresses now get the same water.
- Hardness
- 5 to 10 grains per gallon
- Moderately hard to hard
- Disinfectant
- Chloramine
- Needs catalytic carbon
- Source
- Potomac River (Corbalis plant) and the Occoquan Reservoir (Griffith plant)
Fairfax Water meets or exceeds state and federal standards. The everyday complaints in its territory are scale on fixtures and glassware, dry skin after showering, and a chlorine taste that gets stronger in spring.
Checked September 2026. Source: Fairfax Water annual water quality report.
Homes in Fairfax
Fairfax is a mix of 1950s to 1970s brick colonials and split-levels with full basements, plus newer townhomes around Fair Oaks and Fairfax Corner. Almost every home has a basement or garage utility area near the main shutoff, which keeps installs simple.
What we usually install here
A whole-home softener sized for 5 to 10 grains, catalytic carbon for chloramine, and an under-sink reverse osmosis unit for drinking and cooking water.
Fairfax pricing, published
Prices include equipment, a licensed plumber's installation and startup for a standard install. If anything about your home changes the price, you hear it before we book the plumber, not after.
Whole-Home + Drinking Water
The complete package for a municipal-water home.
$2,499installed
- Metered whole-home softener
- Catalytic carbon for chloramine and chlorine
- Sediment pre-filter and bypass
- 5-stage under-sink reverse osmosis with faucet
- Licensed installation, startup and salt
Whole-Home Only
Soft, chlorine-free water at every tap and shower.
$1,899installed
- Metered whole-home softener
- Catalytic carbon media
- Sediment pre-filter and bypass
- Licensed installation, startup and salt
- Add reverse osmosis any time
Reverse Osmosis Only
Clean drinking water for condos and kitchens.
$799installed
- 5-stage NSF/ANSI 58 system
- Removes lead, PFAS and dissolved solids
- Dedicated lead-free faucet
- Optional fridge and ice line
- Licensed installation and first filters
Standard install covers
- Main water line, a drain and an outlet within reach in a basement, garage or utility room
- Kitchen sink with cabinet space for the reverse osmosis unit
- Copper or PEX supply lines in serviceable condition
- Permit where your jurisdiction requires one
Quoted before we book
- Long plumbing runs to reach the main line, or adding a drain or outlet
- Crawlspace or exterior installs, and galvanized pipe that needs replacing
- Private wells: lab test first, then a system designed to the results
- Fridge and ice maker line for the reverse osmosis unit
Water problems we fix in Fairfax
How it works in Fairfax
Request a consultation
Send your address and the service you want. We check your utility's published hardness and disinfectant and ask a few questions about your home.
Get one firm price
Within a business day you get the exact equipment we recommend, with model numbers, and an installed price that does not change on install day.
Licensed plumber installs it
A licensed, insured plumber installs the system in two to four hours, tests it, and walks you through salt and filter changes. Then you forget about it.
Fairfax neighborhoods we serve
- Old Town Fairfax
- Mosby Woods
- Fairfax Villa
- Kings Park West
- Fair Oaks
- Mantua
- Country Club Hills
- Fairfax Station
ZIP codes: 22030, 22031, 22032, 22033, 22035
Fairfax water questions
How hard is the water in Fairfax?
Fairfax is served by Fairfax Water. The utility reports 5 to 10 grains per gallon, which is moderately hard to hard. Fairfax Water reports 5 to 10 grains per gallon (84 to 170 mg/L), varying with location, season and rainfall.
Does Fairfax tap water contain chloramine?
Yes. Fairfax Water disinfects with chloramine (chlorine bonded to ammonia). Standard carbon cartridges remove chloramine poorly; catalytic carbon is the right media. That is why we use catalytic carbon in every Fairfax whole-home system instead of standard carbon.
How much does a water softener cost in Fairfax?
$1,899 installed for a metered softener with catalytic carbon, or $2,499 with an under-sink reverse osmosis system. That covers equipment, a licensed plumber's installation and startup for a standard install; we quote any extras before booking.
Do you install in Fairfax townhomes and condos?
Townhomes, yes, usually with a compact single-tank softener in the utility closet. Condos where the building supply cannot be modified get an under-sink reverse osmosis system, which handles drinking water taste, lead and PFAS without touching shared plumbing.
Is Fairfax water safe to drink?
Yes. Fairfax Water meets federal and state standards, and we will never claim otherwise. A home system addresses comfort (hardness, disinfectant taste and smell) and, at the kitchen tap, contaminants that enter from home plumbing such as lead.