Water Softener in Fountain Hills, AZ

How hard is my Fountain Hills water?

EPCOR's Chaparral City district serves about 14,500 connections in Fountain Hills and part of Scottsdale. Its water is a mix of Colorado River water from the Central Arizona Project, Lake Pleasant water, and groundwater from the aquifer under town. EPCOR's report puts hardness at approximately 16 grains per gallon. At that level, scale builds quickly in water heaters, on shower glass and inside faucet cartridges. Most households that test at the tap find a softener earns its keep.

Will a softener fix the taste?

No. EPCOR disinfects with chlorine, and a softener does nothing for chlorine taste or smell. Softening exchanges calcium and magnesium for sodium or potassium and leaves everything else alone. For taste, a carbon filter on the whole house or a drinking water system at the kitchen sink is the right tool. Plenty of Fountain Hills owners install both in one visit.

Where does the brine go, and who handles what?

A softener flushes brine during each regeneration through a drain line to a household drain with an air gap. Sewer service in Fountain Hills comes from the Fountain Hills Sanitary District, a separate special district that handles wastewater and recycled water. For anything on your side of the property line, including the softener and its drain, a plumber is who you call. The District handles breaks in its own lines in the public right-of-way or its easements.

Permits in town go through Fountain Hills Building Safety, which takes applications through the Town's online permitting system. If a new loop means cutting into the main, ask the plumber to confirm with Building Safety. Many homes on hillside lots have the main entering at an awkward spot, so plan where the tanks will sit before the visit.

One local note

At around 16 grains, setting the valve too low lets hardness slip through by evening, and setting it far too high wastes salt. Ask the plumber to program it to your tested number, and to explain whether a metered or timer valve suits your household. If you spend part of the year away, a metered valve that only regenerates after water has been used avoids cycling salt through an empty house. Keep hose bibs and landscape lines on the hard side of the system so the resin isn't spent on outdoor watering.