Water softener installation in Orlando, FL: what's really in your water
Hard water, and a utility that fights sulfur at the plant.
Orlando's water comes from the Floridan Aquifer, runs about 7.5 grains of hardness, and starts out smelling like sulfur, which the utility removes with ozone. Here's what reaches your tap, and what to do about it.
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You're probably on this page because:
- You get spots and scale, even though Orlando water tastes fine
- Your water heater is crusting up
- You're new to Florida and the water feels different
That's Orlando water. Here's the fix.
What hard water looks like
Crusty shower head. White buildup clogs the spray.
Faucet scale. Comes right back after you scrub.
Cloudy glasses. Even right out of the dishwasher.
Hard water stains on glass. That foggy film that won't wipe off.
See 2 or more? Your water is hard.
Hard water, by the numbers
- About 156 pounds of rock a year: what a family of 4 runs through its pipes at 10 grains of hardness. About 250 pounds in very hard water.
- Up to 48% less efficient: gas water heaters on hard water in testing.
- 1 in 3 homeowners replaced appliances or fixtures because of buildup.
Sources: 300 gal/day × grains × 64.8 mg × 365; WQRF and Battelle; Morton Salt survey via the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Why Orlando water starts out smelling like eggs
OUC, Orlando's utility, pumps water from deep in the Lower Floridan Aquifer. That water naturally carries hydrogen sulfide, the gas that smells like rotten eggs.
To remove it, OUC uses ozone treatment at all seven of its water plants, which breaks down the sulfide and improves taste, before the water is disinfected. (OUC)
So the sulfur smell is handled before it reaches you. What isn't removed is hardness: about 7.5 grains per gallon, enough to leave scale and spots.
The 2021 oxygen shortage
Ozone takes a lot of liquid oxygen to make. In 2021, a regional liquid oxygen shortage hit OUC, and for seven weeks customers were asked to cut back on water while treatment capacity was limited.
Since then, OUC has upgraded plants with a more efficient ozone-injection system that uses less ozone and less liquid oxygen.
For your home, the takeaway is simple: Orlando's treatment handles taste and odor at the plant, so the job at home is hardness. A softener sized to your household, with carbon in front of it, is the standard fix.
Best setup for Orlando homes
- City Water System: $2,950 installed. Softener for hardness, carbon for the disinfectant, RO for drinking water
Life with it vs. without
| Without it | With it |
|---|---|
| Spots, scale or that pool taste | Clean, soft-feeling water |
| Guessing what you need | A system matched to Orlando water |
How we work, start to finish
- 1
You reach out or book online
- 2
A rep calls you, usually within 5 minutes, to confirm your system and answer questions
- 3
We schedule a licensed local plumber, usually within a week
- 4
Install day: a few hours, plus a before-and-after water test
- 5
After that: new filters every 6 months if you subscribe
Water advice built on local data
20+ years in water, and every city page starts from that city's own water reports.
- 20+ years in water
- Our own patents
- We supply other water companies
- [Thousands] of systems sold
- Licensed installers
Written by [Name], [title], [20+] years in water treatment. Reviewed by [Licensed plumber name], license # [#]. Last updated [date]. Sources: listed under each "By the numbers" block and linked in the copy
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Questions people ask
How hard is Orlando water?
About 7.5 grains per gallon, hard.
Why does Orlando use ozone?
To remove hydrogen sulfide from the raw aquifer water.
Does Orlando use chloramine?
OUC disinfects with chlorine after ozone. [Confirm.]
Do I need a softener in Orlando?
If you see scale and spots, yes.
Does Orange County Utilities water differ?
Yes, some areas are served by Orange County Utilities. Check your ZIP.
Which areas do you serve?
[List areas.]