There are many reasons you may choose to use a home treatment device. As a CRW customer the use of a water filter is not necessary to ensure water safety. The water that CRW serves you meets or exceeds all regulatory requirements and requires no additional treatment. You can find more info about that here.

Some of our customers may choose to utilize home treatment devices for a number of reasons such as altering taste or removing chlorine. Whatever the reason, if you do choose to use a home treatment device, the important thing is to make an informed decision and not be swayed by misleading marketing tactics. So which kind of filter is right for you? Well it depends on your goals, and budget.

• Activated carbon filters are the filters you are probably most familiar with; they can look like water pitchers, are attached to the faucet or are under the sink. They work by attracting and holding certain chemicals as water passes through it. Activated carbon filters can improve taste, odor and color problems associated with organic chemicals in the water. They are particularly effective at reducing taste and odor associated with chlorine. Activated carbon filters need to be replaced often.
• Reverse osmosis, sometimes called RO, involves the movement of water through a membrane. RO filters can remove many substances, including fluoride and many minerals associated with “hard” water. RO can be expensive and it also “wastes” several gallons of water for each gallon produced.
• Water softeners are specifically designed to exchange “hard” minerals, like calcium and manganese, for “soft” minerals, usually sodium or potassium.  Our water source is the Clackamas River, which is naturally on the soft side. Although, hardness can tick up a bit in the summer months, it should not warrant water softening practices.