City water meets federal safety standards — but that doesn’t always mean it tastes great, feels great, or is gentle on your home. We hear the same questions from city water customers every day. Here are honest answers to the ones we get most often around Chlorine and Hard Water. Learn how a CleanSoft BT Pro Whole House Filtration + Softening System addresses them.

Why Does My City Water Taste and Smell Like Chlorine?

Municipal water suppliers add chlorine and chloramines to disinfect water. This process keeps water safe as it travels through miles of pipes to your home. While an important public health measure, by the time water reaches your tap, those disinfectants have done their job. What remains is an unpleasant taste and odor that affects drinking water, coffee, cooking, and even the shower. The CleanSoft BT Pro’s whole-home carbon backwash filtration stage removes chlorine and chloramines from every tap in your house.

Is City Water Hard? What Does Hard Water Actually Do to My Home?

If city water in the United States is hard, it means it contains elevated levels of calcium and magnesium minerals picked up as water moves through rock and soil. Hard water isn’t a health risk, but it causes real, costly damage over time. Things like scale buildup inside pipes, water heaters, and appliances, spots on dishes and glassware, film on shower doors, dry itchy skin, and dull hair add up. The CleanSoft BT Pro’s high-efficiency softening stage removes hardness minerals before they ever enter your home’s plumbing, protecting everything downstream.

Does Whole House Water Filtration Really Make a Difference for City Water?

Absolutely — and most customers feel it almost immediately. Once the CleanSoft BT Pro is installed.  City water customers typically notice cleaner tasting drinking water, softer skin after showering, spot-free dishes and glassware, less soap and shampoo needed to lather, and appliances that run more efficiently. Unlike a pitcher filter or under-sink unit that only treats one tap, a whole house system like the CleanSoft BT Pro delivers clean, soft water from every faucet, shower head, and appliance in your home.

What Are Chloramines and Why Should City Water Customers Care?

Chloramines are a combination of chlorine and ammonia used by many municipal water suppliers as a longer-lasting disinfectant. While effective for public water safety, chloramines are harder to remove than plain chlorine and can cause skin irritation, dry hair, and an unpleasant taste and odor. Standard carbon filters don’t always remove chloramines effectively — that’s why the CleanSoft BT Pro uses a high-grade carbon backwash system specifically designed to handle both chlorine and chloramines in city water supplies.

How Does a Water Softener Save Me Money?

Hard city water is expensive in ways most homeowners don’t immediately connect to their water supply. Scale buildup forces water heaters to work harder, increasing energy bills. Appliances like dishwashers and washing machines wear out faster. You use more soap, detergent, and shampoo because hard water doesn’t lather well.

The CleanSoft BT Pro’s metered, on-demand water softener only regenerates based on actual water usage — unlike older timer-based systems that regenerate on a fixed schedule regardless of need — saving salt, water, and money over time. People also like not having to scrub hard water deposits on their shower doors and counters, saving them time on house cleaning.

Is It Safe to Drink Softened City Water?

Softened water is safe for most people to drink. The water softening process exchanges calcium and magnesium minerals for a small amount of sodium. For the vast majority of households this is completely fine. If you are on a sodium-restricted diet or want zero sodium in your drinking water, get an under-sink reverse osmosis system at the kitchen tap to go alongside the CleanSoft BT Pro and provide sodium-free very pure drinking water — giving you the best of both worlds.

Why Is My Skin So Dry After Showering With City Water?

Two culprits are usually at work: chlorine and hard water. Chlorine strips natural oils from skin and hair, while hard water leaves behind a mineral residue that blocks pores and makes skin feel tight and dry. This is especially noticeable for people with sensitive skin, eczema, or psoriasis. The CleanSoft BT Pro addresses both issues simultaneously — removing chlorine through carbon filtration and eliminating hardness through softening — making a noticeable difference in how your skin and hair feel after every shower.

Will a Whole House Filter Reduce My Water Pressure?

A properly sized and installed whole house filtration and softening system like the CleanSoft BT Pro is designed to deliver excellent flow rate without a noticeable drop in water pressure. The system is engineered for whole-home use, meaning it handles the demands of multiple fixtures running simultaneously. Proper installation by a licensed plumber ensures your pressure stays strong from every tap.

How Much Maintenance Does the CleanSoft BT (Bluetooth) Pro Require?

Very little — which is one of the reasons city water customers love it. The carbon backwash filter cleans itself automatically on a regular backwash cycle, flushing out accumulated contaminants. The water softener regenerates on demand based on usage, so you simply add softener salt to the brine tank as needed — typically every four to eight weeks depending on household size and water hardness. Beyond that, the system runs quietly in the background without demanding your attention.

How Do I Know if the CleanSoft BT Pro Is Right for My City Water?

The CleanSoft BT Pro is an excellent fit for city water homeowners who want better tasting and smelling water and soft water that protects appliances and plumbing, relief from dry skin and hair caused by chlorine and hard water.

Not sure what’s in your city water? Have a look at your city Consumer Confidence Report or order your own water test. Our team at Clean Water Store is happy to help you read it and recommend the right system for your home.

Where Can I Learn More or Get Help Choosing the Right System?

Our team at Clean Water Store has helped thousands of city water homeowners find the right filtration and softening solution. We offer honest, no-pressure guidance based on your actual water quality and household needs. Start by viewing the full product details and specifications for the CleanSoft BT Pro, or reach out to us directly — we love talking about clean water.

View the CleanSoft BT Pro Whole House Filtration + Softening System →

Resources

We believe an informed homeowner makes the best decisions about their water. Here are five trusted educational and government resources to help you learn more about city water.

• U.S. EPA — Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR)
  Every municipal water supplier is required by law to publish an annual water quality report.
• U.S. EPA — Basic Information About Your Drinking Water
  A comprehensive overview of how municipal drinking water is treated, regulated, and delivered to your home — and what standards it must meet.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — Water Treatment
  The CDC’s guide to public water treatment methods, including how and why chlorine and chloramines are used in municipal water systems.
• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) — Water Hardness
  An authoritative scientific explanation of what causes water hardness, how it varies across the United States, and what effects it has on homes and appliances.
• Purdue University Extension — Water Softeners: How They Work and What They Do
  A university-backed educational resource explaining how water softeners work, the ion exchange process, and what to expect from a whole-home softening system.

All product information reflects current Clean Water Store offerings and is subject to change. Contact us for personalized recommendations based on your city water quality report.

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