Short, plain answers from San Jose Water’s 2025 report, the USGS, EPA and the published NSF/ANSI standards. For anything about your own home, send the form and an independent local pro can contact you.
Water Softener San Jose is an independent referral service, not an installer or plumber. When you send the form, your details are passed to an independent local water treatment pro, who can contact you and prepare a quote.
Pages with more detail
- Water softener installation in San Jose
- Water softener repair in San Jose
- Reverse osmosis in San Jose
- Whole house water filter in San Jose
- Water filtration in San Jose
- Hard water in San Jose
Questions people ask
What is the water hardness in San Jose?
It depends on the source that feeds your area. San Jose Water’s 2025 report gives averages of about 5.8 grains per gallon for Valley Water treated surface water, 9 for mountain surface water and 16.8 for groundwater, which ranges from 10.2 to 26.4. If another company supplies you, ask your water provider for its annual water quality report.
How do I know which source feeds my home?
San Jose Water’s annual water quality report includes a map of which source feeds which area. Your bill tells you whether San Jose Water is your supplier.
Is hard water a health risk?
San Jose Water says hard water does not pose a health risk and there is no health-based drinking water standard for hardness.
What counts as hard water?
The USGS grades water at 0 to 60 mg/L as calcium carbonate soft, 61 to 120 moderately hard, 121 to 180 hard and over 180 very hard. One grain per gallon is about 17 mg/L.
Do I need a water softener?
It is a preference. If scale, spots, soap scum or soap that will not lather bother you, a softener is the equipment that deals with hardness.
How does a water softener work?
An ion exchange softener holds calcium and magnesium on resin as water passes through, and cleans the resin with brine from a tank of salt or potassium chloride. NSF/ANSI 44 is the standard for residential softeners of this kind.
What size softener do I need?
It depends on your water’s hardness and your household’s water use. Ask any installer what hardness the unit was sized for and where the figure came from.
Do I need a permit to install a water softener in San Jose?
Check with the City of San Jose permit center before the work starts, and ask the installer how they handle permits.
How much should a water softener system cost?
This site gives no prices: no installer is named and every home differs. The size of the unit, its type, access to the main line, the drain line and any permit all affect the job. Compare written quotes.
What are the downsides of having a water softener?
Salt-based units add sodium to the water (on a sodium-restricted diet, ask your doctor), need salt or potassium chloride added, and San Jose Water notes some softening systems can increase corrosivity and damage a water heater’s anode.
What is a good alternative to a water softener?
Salt-free conditioners are the alternative people ask about. They use a different technology from ion exchange; ask the installer what any such system is certified for.
Which softener brand is better?
This site does not compare or recommend brands. Check what matters for your water: sized for your hardness, certified to NSF/ANSI 44, and a clear written quote.
Can I flush the toilet while my softener is regenerating?
Check the maker’s manual for your model. Some control valves let you choose when regeneration runs, so it can be set for a time the house is quiet.
Is it worth repairing a water softener?
A failed seal, a stuck valve or a salt bridge can be a straightforward repair. Compare a written repair quote with a replacement sized for your water.
Who do I call to fix a water softener?
A water treatment pro or a plumber who services softeners. Send the form on this site and your request is passed to an independent local pro, who can contact you.
How often does a softener need service?
Follow the maker’s schedule for your model.
Does a softener make water safe to drink?
A softener works on hardness, not on drinking water safety. For treatment at the kitchen tap, see reverse osmosis or a filter certified for the contaminant you are concerned about.
What is the difference between a whole-house filter and a softener?
A softener handles hardness. A whole-house filter is chosen for taste, odor, sediment or a specific contaminant, under NSF/ANSI 42, 53 or 401.
Is it worth getting a whole house water filter?
If it solves a problem you have, such as taste or odor through the house. Decide what you want to reduce, then choose a filter certified for it.
How much water does reverse osmosis waste?
EPA says a typical point-of-use RO system sends five gallons or more of reject water down the drain for each gallon treated, some up to 10. WaterSense labeled units send 2.3 gallons or less.
Does San Jose water have PFAS?
San Jose Water’s 2025 report says it monitors 88 groundwater wells and 9 surface sources for PFAS. The report itself has the results.
Is this site an installer?
No. Water Softener San Jose is an independent referral service, not an installer or plumber. When you send the form, your details are passed to an independent local water treatment pro, who can contact you and prepare a quote.
Is this site connected to San Jose Water?
No. It has no connection with San Jose Water or any other water company. For billing or service questions, contact your water company.
Does it cost anything to ask?
No. Sending the form is free and you never have to buy anything.