Water Softener & Filtration Installation in Palisades, DC
Palisades homes get moderately hard water from DC Water, disinfected with chloramine. We soften it, remove the disinfectant and polish your drinking water for $2,499 installed.
What is in Palisades's water
DC Water in Northwest is moderately hard with chloramine, and the Dalecarlia treatment plant is practically next door. Renovated homes here usually want appliance and fixture protection first, plus drinking water that tastes clean year-round including during the spring chlorine flush.
Seasonal changes
Every spring DC Water temporarily switches to free chlorine to clean the pipes. The chlorine smell is strongest during those weeks.
Lead and older plumbing
DC still has lead service lines in many older neighborhoods, and DC Water runs a replacement program (Lead Free DC). If your home was built before 1960, treat lead as a real possibility until the service line is confirmed.
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
DC Water
- Hardness
- 4 to 7 grains per gallon
- Moderately hard
- Disinfectant
- Chloramine
- Needs catalytic carbon
- Source
- Potomac River, treated by the Washington Aqueduct (Dalecarlia and McMillan plants)
DC water is only moderately hard, so the softener conversation is about comfort and appliance life rather than heavy scale. The bigger issues for DC homeowners are chloramine taste and the age of home plumbing.
Checked September 2026. Source: DC Water drinking water quality FAQ.
Homes in Palisades
The Palisades, Spring Valley and Wesley Heights are 1920s to 1950s detached homes, many substantially renovated with multiple bathrooms and tankless water heaters. We size high-flow softeners for these and put reverse osmosis at the main kitchen and, often, a wet bar.
What we usually install here
For rowhouses and single-family homes, a compact softener with catalytic carbon plus under-sink reverse osmosis. For condos and apartments, an under-sink reverse osmosis system certified for lead and PFAS is the right-sized answer.
Palisades 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 Palisades
How it works in Palisades
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.
Palisades neighborhoods we serve
- Palisades
- Spring Valley
- American University Park
- Wesley Heights
- Kent
- Foxhall Crescent
- Berkley
ZIP codes: 20016
Palisades water questions
How hard is the water in Palisades?
Palisades is served by DC Water. The utility reports 4 to 7 grains per gallon, which is moderately hard. DC Water describes its water as moderately hard and publishes a range of 70 to 120 ppm, which is roughly 4 to 7 grains per gallon.
Does Palisades tap water contain chloramine?
Yes. DC Water uses chloramine year-round. It is gentler on taste than free chlorine but harder to filter; catalytic carbon media is required. That is why we use catalytic carbon in every Palisades whole-home system instead of standard carbon.
How much does a water softener cost in Palisades?
$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 Palisades 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 Palisades water safe to drink?
Yes. DC 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.