Question 1

How long does an install take?

Accepted Answer

Most whole-home + RO installs finish in 4-6 hours. The whole-home unit ties into your main water line; the RO mounts under your kitchen sink. We pull the permit, our NC-licensed plumber does the tie-in, and you get your system up the same day.

Question 2

How much does the Complete Home System bundle cost?

Accepted Answer

$2,699 installed during founder pricing through July 31, 2026. That includes the whole-home softener + carbon filtration AND the HW800 AlkaPro under-sink RO drinking water system. After July 31 the bundle reverts to retail (~$5,998 of equipment + install).

Question 3

What's the warranty on the equipment?

Accepted Answer

Two distinct warranties: the equipment itself is covered by Honest Water Co's manufacturer warranty (terms vary by component — see HW warranty doc). Our installation work — fittings, drain integration, code-compliant routing — is covered by RWP's lifetime workmanship warranty. Both apply at the same time but cover different things.

Question 4

Why is chloramine in Triangle tap water?

Accepted Answer

Most Triangle utilities (Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill via OWASA) use chloramine instead of chlorine because it persists longer in the distribution system. You can taste it; standard carbon filters don't fully remove it. Catalytic activated carbon, used in our whole-home unit, does.

Question 5

Is there PFAS in Triangle drinking water?

Accepted Answer

Trace levels of PFAS have been detected in several Triangle utilities, especially those that draw from Cape Fear basin sources (Cary, Apex via Jordan Lake; Pittsboro). Levels are below current EPA enforceable limits but above the new 2024 health-based MCLs. NSF P473 certified RO systems remove 99%+ of PFOA/PFOS.

Question 6

Is Triangle municipal water actually hard?

Accepted Answer

No — Triangle municipal water averages 1.3-2.7 GPG (slightly hard or below). Raleigh Water draws from Falls Lake (~1.5 GPG); Cary draws from Jordan Lake (~1.7 GPG). The bigger municipal-water concerns are chloramine disinfection, trihalomethanes, and trace PFAS in some sources.

Question 7

Is Durham water really softer than other Triangle cities?

Accepted Answer

Yes — Durham draws from Lake Michie and Little River reservoirs, both of which test at the lower end of Triangle hardness at ~1.3 GPG. That's about half the hardness of Raleigh and well below Holly Springs (~2.7 GPG). A softener is still useful for spot-free dishes and longer appliance life, but it's the lowest-priority install for most Durham homes.

Question 8

Does Durham use chloramine or free chlorine?

Accepted Answer

Durham uses free chlorine as the primary disinfectant — easier to remove with standard carbon than the chloramine Raleigh and Cary use. That's the good news. The trade-off is higher disinfection-byproduct (THM) risk, especially in the summer when reservoir levels drop. THMs are linked to long-term cancer risk and our whole-home system removes them.

Question 9

Do Trinity Park, Old North Durham, or Watts-Hillandale homes have lead pipe risk?

Accepted Answer

Many homes in Trinity Park, Old North Durham, Watts-Hillandale, Forest Hills, and the older portions of Hope Valley date to pre-1986 and may have lead solder in interior plumbing. Durham's finished water is treated to limit leaching, but house-side conditions vary. We recommend an RO system at the kitchen sink for drinking water in any pre-1986 Durham home.

Water filtration for Durham homeowners.

What's in Durham's water

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Durham neighborhoods we serve

Built for Durham's water specifically

Whole-Home Filtration

Reverse Osmosis

Well Water Treatment

Specialty Services

We also install near Durham

Chapel Hill

Carrboro

Morrisville

Hillsborough

Common questions in Durham

The two reads that explain everything

Triangle Water Quality Report 2026

Complete Home Water System Guide

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