Drinking Water Systems for Anaheim Kitchens
An under sink reverse osmosis system gives you one faucet of clean water for drinking, cooking, coffee and ice, while the rest of the house stays on city water. The three models are compared on the Orange County drinking water systems page.
Before recommending one, though, Anaheim deserves an honest caveat that most of these pages will not give you.
You Might Not Need One Here
Anaheim runs its own water system. It is not an MWDOC member agency, imported Metropolitan supply is under 15 percent of the total, and the city disinfects with free chlorine rather than chloramine.
That last point matters commercially, not just technically. Free chlorine is the easy disinfectant to remove. Activated carbon strips it readily, which means a good carbon jug or a decent fridge filter can genuinely satisfy a household whose only complaint is a chlorine taste. In the chloramine cities that is not true, because carbon alone struggles with chloramine and people end up disappointed.
So in Anaheim the honest question is not which reverse osmosis system to buy. It is whether the thing bothering you is chlorine, which is cheap to fix, or dissolved solids, which is not.
"I have talked Anaheim customers out of RO systems and told them to buy a twenty dollar filter jug. If chlorine taste is the whole complaint and their TDS reading is unremarkable, that is the correct advice and it costs me the sale. Where the reading comes back heavy, that is different, and then I can show them why the jug was never going to do it."
Gregg Stewart, Owner, Puronics of Orange County, CA C-55 #904801, (714) 545-3022
When Reverse Osmosis Is Worth It
The membrane earns its money on dissolved solids, which a carbon filter cannot touch. Anaheim draws mostly on basin groundwater, and groundwater carries a real mineral load, so a heavy TDS reading here is entirely plausible. What that tastes like is not chemical, it is heavy, or flat, or leaves a mineral finish that lingers.
Reverse osmosis also reduces dissolved metals and contaminants such as lead, arsenic and nitrates where they are present. If any of that shows up in the test, the conversation changes.
What the Stages Do
- Carbon. Removes sediment and chlorine, and protects the membrane behind it, since chlorine damages membranes.
- Ultrafiltration. Fine enough to act as a barrier to waterborne cysts such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia if present, and self cleaning.
- Reverse osmosis. Water crosses the membrane and most dissolved solids do not. This is the stage a carbon filter cannot replicate.
- Carbon block polish. A final pass on taste and odor before the dedicated faucet.
The Pur Alkaline filter can return calcium and magnesium after the last stage if the finished water tastes too clean.
Choosing a System
The MICROMAX 7000 is the low profile four stage unit for tight cabinets. The MICROMAX 6500 splits sediment and carbon into separate stages, which suits a heavier reading and stretches the service interval. The MICROMAX 6000 is the value option.
It Will Not Touch Your Hard Water
One faucet only. Scale on the fixtures, the water heater and the dishwasher all need a water softener in Anaheim, and chlorine smell at every tap rather than only in a glass needs whole house filtration. The free water test at your home sorts out which of the three you are dealing with.
Drinking Water FAQ: Anaheim, CA
Do I actually need reverse osmosis in Anaheim?
Possibly not, and it is worth saying that on a page selling them. Anaheim disinfects with free chlorine rather than chloramine, and chlorine is the easy one for carbon to remove. If your only complaint is a chlorine taste, a decent carbon filter may genuinely satisfy you for a fraction of the price. Reverse osmosis earns its keep when dissolved solids are the problem, and that takes a measurement to establish.
What are dissolved solids and how would I know if I have them?
It is the total mineral and salt content dissolved in the water, and it reads on the tongue as heaviness or a flat mineral finish rather than as a chemical taste. Anaheim draws mostly on basin groundwater, which carries a real mineral load. A TDS meter answers the question in seconds, and that is part of the free water test.
Why is Anaheim water different from the surrounding cities?
The city runs its own system rather than depending on imported supply. It is not an MWDOC member agency, and Metropolitan water is under 15 percent of what it delivers. Most neighbouring cities carry a substantial chloraminated imported share. Anaheim mostly carries its own chlorinated groundwater.
Which Micromax fits an Anaheim kitchen?
Cabinet space and your TDS reading decide. The MICROMAX 7000 is the low profile four stage unit and fits where space is tight. The 6500 adds a fifth stage by separating sediment and carbon, which suits a heavier dissolved solids reading and needs servicing less often. The 6000 is the value option running the same four stage process as the 7000.
Does an RO system need electricity?
No. The Micromax systems run on household water pressure alone and connect to the cold supply with a faucet adapter rather than needle valves or special plumbing. Nothing to plug in, nothing to reset after an outage.
Will it help with the scale on my fixtures?
No. A drinking water system treats one faucet and does nothing for the shower, dishwasher or water heater. Anaheim water is hard and that is where the expensive damage happens, so if scale is your complaint you want a softener instead. The free test measures both so you can decide what matters more.
More from Puronics of Orange County: the Anaheim water treatment overview, salt free systems in Anaheim, plus drinking water systems in Orange, Fullerton, Santa Ana and Yorba Linda.
