Do You Need Water Filtration?

Not every home needs a water treatment system, and nobody should buy one without a reason. This guide walks through how to think about it: where your water comes from, what symptoms to look for, and when a free water test makes sense.

Start with your water source

Town (public) water: public water systems are regulated and tested, and your supplier publishes an annual Consumer Confidence Report describing what it found. Town water is treated to meet drinking water standards, but some homeowners still want to reduce chlorine taste and odor, address hardness, or add extra protection for drinking water.

See what's in your town's water

EWG's database covers public water systems; private wells aren't included, so well owners need their own test.

Private well: no utility is testing your well for you. The homeowner is responsible for its water quality, and problems like iron, sulfur, bacteria or acidic water are more common. If you're on a well, regular testing matters more than any checklist. Read more in our guide to well water on the South Shore.

Symptom checklist

Any of these is a good reason to look closer:

• Chlorine taste or smell from the tap
• Rotten-egg odor, especially from hot water
• Orange, brown or black stains on fixtures or laundry
• White scale on faucets, spots on dishes, or soap that won't lather (see hard water signs)
• Blue-green stains or pinhole leaks in copper pipes
• Cloudy, metallic or otherwise off-tasting water
• Your household buys bottled water because nobody likes the tap
• A water test came back with a problem, or you're concerned about PFAS

Some contaminants have no symptoms at all. Bacteria, PFAS, arsenic and radon can't be seen, smelled or tasted, which is why testing matters even when the water seems fine.

When a free water test makes sense

A free in-home water test is a low-commitment first step if you checked anything above, you're on a private well, you're buying or selling a home, or you simply want to know. It measures common issues like hardness, iron and pH on the spot. For bacteria, PFAS and other health-related contaminants, a test from a MassDEP-certified laboratory is the reliable route.

If you do need filtration

The right answer depends on the results. Common starting points:

• Chlorine, taste and odor throughout the house: whole-home carbon filtration.
• Better drinking and cooking water at one faucet: single-fixture reverse osmosis.
• Compare every option and example monthly payments on our pricing page.

If the test shows your water is fine, that's a good result too, and you'll know you don't need to spend anything.

Book my free water test →