Home / Reverse Osmosis, Alkaline & Whole House Water Filtration
Reverse Osmosis, Alkaline & Whole House Water Filtration
Licensed General Contractor · Bonded & Insured · CSLB #1033958
Every tap
Whole-house carbon
Chlorine, chloramine, taste and odor
Drinking water
Under-sink RO
A dedicated filtered tap at the kitchen sink
Installed to code
Bypass & air gap
Shutoffs, bypass valve and drain done right
Licensed
C-36 plumbing
CSLB #1033958
Start with what bothers you
Which water filter do you actually need?
Filtration systems solve different problems. Match what you notice to the system that fixes it — and skip paying for one that does not.
Whole-house carbon
Pool smell from the shower or tap
That is the disinfectant in city water. Catalytic carbon at the main line takes it out of every tap and shower.
Whole-house carbon
Tap water tastes flat or chemical everywhere
If it is every faucet, treat it where the water enters the house, not one sink at a time.
Under-sink RO
You buy cases of bottled water
An RO system gives you that water from a dedicated tap at the kitchen sink, for a fraction of the cost.
Under-sink RO
You want cleaner water for drinking, coffee and ice
RO removes most dissolved solids. Many systems can also feed the refrigerator ice maker.
Both
You want better water at every tap and the best at the kitchen
Carbon for the whole house, RO for drinking. The carbon in front also makes the RO filters last longer.
Neither — ask us
White crust on faucets and glass shower doors
That is hardness, and carbon does not remove it. Scale needs a softener or conditioner — a separate conversation.
What is in the tap water
Why filter San Diego tap water?
San Diego tap water meets every state and federal health standard. The city treats it to be safe — not for taste, and not for what your own pipes add after the meter. That gap is what a filter closes.
Carbon handles the disinfectant and taste. Reverse osmosis handles dissolved solids and metals at the tap. Neither one is a water softener. Every figure below comes from the city’s 2025 water quality report.
Remove chloramine & the pool smell
The city disinfects with chloramine, averaging 1.75 ppm. Catalytic carbon takes it out at every tap and shower; RO takes it out of your drinking water.
Drinking water without the mineral load
Dissolved solids run up to 634 ppm in city water. RO removes most of them at the kitchen tap — for drinking, coffee and ice.
Stop what your own pipes add
The city says it “cannot control” the materials in home plumbing. Metals pick up after the meter, so the fix belongs at the tap: an under-sink RO system.
An extra barrier for byproducts & trace compounds
The water meets every limit. Carbon and RO still reduce disinfection byproducts like trihalomethanes, and RO reduces PFAS like the PFBA found in 2025.
City of San Diego · 2025 data
Water quality report card
Hardness
Calcium & magnesium
13.8–14.2 gpg
Plant averages · samples up to 16.6 gpg
Very hard water. This is the white crust on faucets and glass. Carbon and RO do not stop scale in pipes — that takes a softener.
Total dissolved solids
Minerals & salts
532–585 ppm
Plant averages · samples up to 634 ppm · guideline 1,000
Most of what you taste in the glass. Carbon does not touch it — reverse osmosis removes most of it.
Chloramine
Disinfectant residual
1.75 ppm
System average · peaks to 3.80 · limit 4.0
Keeps water safe in the pipes. It is also the pool smell and taste. Needs catalytic carbon to remove.
Trihalomethanes
Disinfection byproduct
55 ppb
Highest running average · limit 80 · single samples up to 87
Forms when disinfectant meets natural organics. Within the limit; carbon and RO reduce it further.
Fluoride
Added for dental health
0.7 ppm
City average · limit 2.0
Added to the CDC-recommended level. If you prefer to drink without it, RO removes it. Carbon does not.
Lead & copper
At your tap, 2023 study
Lead ≤ 1.4 ppb
Lead action level 15 ppb · 1 of 56 homes over copper level
Not detected leaving the plants. It comes from home pipes and fixtures, after the meter — so it is caught at the tap.
PFAS
“Forever chemicals”
Trace PFBA
Avg 5.4 ppt at Alvarado only · unregulated
PFOA and PFOS not detected. One unregulated PFAS, PFBA, was found at trace levels in water from one plant.
From the Alvarado, Miramar and Otay treatment plants and the city distribution system; lead and copper from the city’s 2023 home tap study. Your tap can differ. Outside City of San Diego service, check your own district’s report.
Whole-house carbon filters
Whole-house carbon filter installation in San Diego
A whole-house carbon filter goes on the main water line, usually near the shutoff or the water heater, so every faucet, shower, washer and ice maker gets filtered water. We size it to your home’s flow so pressure stays where it should be.
Irrigation and hose bibs can stay on unfiltered water, so you are not spending filter life on the lawn.
What it takes out
The things you taste and smell in city water, at every tap in the house.
What the install includes
Plumbed into the main line so it can be serviced without shutting the house down.
Filter replacement & service
Already have a system? We change cartridges and media, fix leaking housings, and add a bypass when one was never installed.
Under-sink reverse osmosis
Reverse osmosis system installation in San Diego
An under-sink RO system pushes water through several filter stages and a fine membrane, then stores it for a dedicated faucet at the kitchen sink. It is the system for drinking, cooking, coffee and ice — the water you would otherwise buy by the case.
Reverse osmosis installation
Standard, alkaline or tankless alkaline systems, a dedicated faucet, and a proper drain connection with an air gap. Ice-maker and fridge lines on request.
RO filter & membrane replacement
Pre-filters, membrane and post-filter changed on schedule, with the system flushed and leak-checked.
RO system repair
Slow fill, constant draining sound, leaks, or water that started tasting off. Diagnosed and fixed, or replaced if the unit is done.
01
Sediment pre-filter
Catches sand, rust and grit before they reach the finer stages.
02
Carbon pre-filter
Removes chlorine and chloramine, which would otherwise damage the membrane.
03
RO membrane
Removes most dissolved solids — the minerals and salts in the water.
04
Post-filter
A final carbon polish before the faucet. Some systems add minerals back for taste.
Reverse osmosis options
Standard, alkaline, or tankless alkaline RO
All three use the same membrane and remove the same dissolved solids. The differences are taste, storage, flow and how much of the cabinet they take.
A straight answer on alkaline water
Remineralizing is about taste. The stage adds back a small amount of minerals and raises the pH a little — it is not a medical treatment, and we do not claim health benefits for it. If you prefer how it tastes, that is the reason to choose it.
Side by side
Whole-house carbon vs. reverse osmosis
They are not competitors. One treats all the water in the house; the other makes the best possible water for one tap.
Whole-house carbon filter
Every faucet, shower and appliance. Best when the complaint is smell, taste or chlorine in the shower.
Under-sink reverse osmosis
One dedicated tap at the kitchen sink. Best when you want drinking and cooking water better than the tap.
Every install
What comes with every filtration install
Common questions
Water filtration FAQ
Will a whole-house carbon filter soften my water?
No. Carbon removes chlorine, chloramine, taste and odor, but it does not remove the calcium and magnesium that make San Diego water hard. Scale on fixtures needs a softener or conditioner, which is a separate system. We will tell you which problem you actually have.
Does a carbon filter work with the chloramine in San Diego water?
Yes, if it uses the right media. Chloramine is harder to remove than chlorine, so we install catalytic carbon, which is made for it. Standard carbon sized for chlorine alone wears out quickly on chloraminated water.
What does an under-sink reverse osmosis system remove?
A reverse osmosis membrane removes most dissolved solids — the minerals and salts that make up much of what you taste — along with chlorine and chloramine through its carbon stages. It gives you one dedicated tap of filtered drinking and cooking water at the kitchen sink.
How often do the filters need changing?
Most RO pre-filters are changed every 6 to 12 months and the membrane every 2 to 3 years. Whole-house carbon depends on the system and how much water the house uses — cartridge housings need changing more often than large media tanks. We write the schedule down for your system at install.
Can I have both a whole-house filter and reverse osmosis?
Yes, and it is a common pairing. The whole-house carbon filter treats every tap and shower; the RO system under the kitchen sink polishes the water you drink. The carbon filter in front also extends the life of the RO pre-filters.
Tank or tankless RO — which should I get?
A tank system is simpler, needs no power and costs less. A tankless system needs an outlet under the sink but gives faster flow, sends less water to the drain and frees most of the cabinet. If you fill large pots or bottles often, or the cabinet is already crowded, tankless is usually worth it.
Is alkaline RO water better for you?
We sell it for taste, not health. The remineralization stage adds a small amount of calcium and magnesium back after the membrane and raises the pH slightly, which most people find tastes rounder than plain RO. We do not make health claims for it. If plain RO tastes flat to you, alkaline is the fix.
Where we work
Water filtration installs across San Diego
Based in Chula Vista, serving the South Bay, the City of San Diego and East County. Not sure you are in range? Call and ask.
South Bay
Chula Vista · Bonita · National City · Imperial Beach · San Ysidro · Otay Mesa
City of San Diego
San Diego · Clairemont · Mira Mesa · Miramar
East County
La Mesa · Lemon Grove · El Cajon · Santee · Alpine · Poway
Get in touch
Get a water filtration estimate
Tell us which system you are thinking about, or just what you want to fix. A photo of your main line or under your kitchen sink helps us quote it accurately.
Also dealing with a dripping faucet? See faucets & fixtures.