The RWP Blog
Notes on Triangle water
Practical writing about water quality, filtration, and install decisions for Triangle homeowners. Built around real readings, real systems, real install considerations.
Whole-home filter vs reverse osmosis: what's the actual difference?
Whole-home and RO solve different problems. One filters every tap; the other filters one. Most Triangle homes benefit from both — but if you can only pick one, here's how to decide.
Read post →Salt-free vs salt water softener for Triangle water: an honest comparison
Salt-free 'softeners' don't actually soften water — they condition it. For Triangle hardness (1.3-2.7 GPG), the trade-offs are real. Here's the practical breakdown.
Read post →Lead pipes in pre-1986 Triangle homes: how to know, what to do
The 1986 federal lead-solder ban means newer homes are largely safe. Older Triangle housing — Five Points, Trinity Park, Carrboro Northside — needs a closer look. Here's how to test and fix.
Read post →1,4-dioxane in Triangle drinking water: what Jordan Lake customers should know
Cary, Apex, Morrisville, and parts of Fuquay-Varina all draw from Jordan Lake. Upstream Haw River industrial dischargers put 1,4-dioxane in finished tap water. Here's the practical removal answer.
Read post →Durham vs Raleigh water: which is harder, and why it matters
Durham water is genuinely softer than Raleigh's — ~1.3 GPG vs ~1.5 GPG. Different reservoirs, different disinfectants, different filtration math. Here's the breakdown.
Read post →Is Raleigh tap water safe to drink? The honest answer
Raleigh tap water meets every federal drinking water standard. That isn't the same as 'optimal.' Here's the gap between legal compliance and what's actually in your glass.
Read post →How long does a water softener last? Triangle-specific maintenance
10-15 years for resin, 15-20 years for tanks, indefinite for everything else with maintenance. Honest answer + Triangle-specific factors that change the math.
Read post →Well water testing in Apex NC: what to look for in NC piedmont groundwater
Apex has moderate well prevalence in the southern and rural areas. What to test for, when to test, and what filtration looks like for a piedmont well.
Read post →PFAS removal in Chapel Hill: what OWASA's 9 detected compounds mean for your home
OWASA documents 9 PFAS compounds in finished drinking water after standard treatment. Here's what that means for UNC-area families and the reliable home-level fix.
Read post →Is Cary water hard or soft? The actual GPG numbers
Cary water tests at 1.5-1.8 GPG — soft to slightly hard. Here's why most Cary homeowners don't need a dedicated softener, and the real upstream concern that does matter.
Read post →Start Here
The pillar guides
If you're new here, the two long-form pillar guides cover the foundational answers most Triangle homeowners are looking for before they install anything.
Triangle Water Quality Report 2026
What's in Triangle water — 30 utilities, hardness, disinfectants, PFAS, lead, wells. Six sections, ~3,000 words.
Read the report →The Complete Home Water System Guide
How the bundled flagship works, equipment specs, install considerations, warranty math, and pricing context for the Triangle market.
Read the guide →