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

Where does Hillsborough tap water come from?

Accepted Answer

Hillsborough operates its own water treatment from the Eno River — independent of OWASA, Raleigh Water, or Durham. Chemistry: free chlorine disinfection, ~1.8 GPG hardness, low PFAS exposure relative to the Cape Fear basin cities. The trade-off for the smaller system is less treatment redundancy and higher seasonal taste variation.

Question 8

Is lead a concern in Hillsborough's historic district?

Accepted Answer

Yes — Hillsborough's historic district has the oldest housing stock of any Triangle city we serve, with many homes pre-1900 on N Churton, W King, W Tryon, and surrounding streets. Lead solder in interior plumbing is more common here than in any other Triangle city. RO at the drinking tap is strongly recommended for any historic-district home.

Question 9

Why does Hillsborough water sometimes taste different in summer?

Accepted Answer

Eno River summer flows drop, concentrating dissolved organics; combined with free chlorine that produces higher seasonal trihalomethane (THM) and 'lake-y' taste compounds. The municipal system is within EPA limits, but residents who notice the variation typically install whole-home catalytic carbon to flatten the seasonality.

Water filtration for Hillsborough homeowners.

What's in Hillsborough's water

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Hillsborough neighborhoods we serve

Built for Hillsborough's water specifically

Whole-Home Filtration

Reverse Osmosis

Well Water Treatment

Specialty Services

We also install near Hillsborough

Mebane

Chapel Hill

Carrboro

Durham

Common questions in Hillsborough

The two reads that explain everything

Triangle Water Quality Report 2026

Complete Home Water System Guide

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