Water Softener & Filtration Installation in Sterling, VA
Sterling homes get moderately hard to hard water from Loudoun Water, disinfected with chloramine. We soften it, remove the disinfectant and polish your drinking water for $2,499 installed.
What is in Sterling's water
Sterling is on Loudoun Water, which is moderately hard to hard with chloramine. Older Sterling Park plumbing tends to show scale and reduced flow first; Cascades homeowners more often ask about tankless heater protection and drinking water.
Seasonal changes
Loudoun Water performs a spring free-chlorine conversion in step with Fairfax Water. Taste and smell change for a few weeks.
Lead and older plumbing
Most of eastern Loudoun was built after 1986, so lead solder is rare. Lead does not come from the treatment plant.
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
Loudoun Water
- Hardness
- about 5 to 10 grains per gallon
- Moderately hard to hard (approximate, confirm with latest report)
- Disinfectant
- Chloramine
- Needs catalytic carbon
- Source
- Potomac River (Trap Rock plant) plus water purchased from Fairfax Water
Loudoun Water serves the newer, fast-growing part of the county. Hardness shows up quickly in the tankless water heaters and high-end fixtures common in Ashburn and Brambleton homes.
Checked September 2026. Source: Loudoun Water drinking water quality page.
Homes in Sterling
Sterling Park is 1960s and 1970s ranches and splits on slabs or crawlspaces, while Cascades and Lowes Island are 1990s colonials with basements. For slab homes we install in the garage with a drain line run to the nearest approved point.
What we usually install here
Whole-home softener with catalytic carbon to protect tankless heaters and glass shower enclosures, plus under-sink reverse osmosis. Western Loudoun homes on wells need a lab test first.
Sterling 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 Sterling
How it works in Sterling
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.
Sterling neighborhoods we serve
- Sugarland Run
- Cascades
- Lowes Island
- Potomac Falls
- Countryside
- Sterling Park
- Great Falls Chase
- Dulles Town Center
ZIP codes: 20164, 20165, 20166
Sterling water questions
How hard is the water in Sterling?
Sterling is served by Loudoun Water. We expect about 5 to 10 grains per gallon, which is moderately hard to hard. Loudoun Water treats Potomac water and blends in Fairfax Water supply, so hardness is in the same moderately hard to hard band. Confirm the current value in the annual report.
Does Sterling tap water contain chloramine?
Yes. Loudoun Water reports chloramine disinfection for its central system. Catalytic carbon is needed to remove it. That is why we use catalytic carbon in every Sterling whole-home system instead of standard carbon.
How much does a water softener cost in Sterling?
$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 Sterling 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 Sterling water safe to drink?
Yes. Loudoun 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.