Water Softener in Upper Marlboro, MD

The Upper Marlboro area

Upper Marlboro is the Prince George's County seat, a small historic town of about 650 residents surrounded by a postal area of roughly 77 square miles that mixes horse-farm countryside with growing developments. The area's median home dates to about 1982. WSSC Water runs mains serving customers in the Upper Marlboro area with treated Potomac and Patuxent river water, disinfected with chlorine, UV-treated at the plants and dosed with orthophosphate. Service in the outlying rural parts varies, so check whether you receive a WSSC bill. Newer developments in places such as Westphalia often have a garage or basement layout with room near the main for treatment equipment.

Steps to take

1. Identify the source. A WSSC bill means public water; no bill means the home has its own supply.
2. Test accordingly. On WSSC, a hardness kit at the tap is enough. On a private supply, test hardness, iron, manganese, pH and bacteria.
3. Check the drain situation. Know whether the house is on public sewer or not on municipal sewer, since that affects how regeneration water is handled.
4. Isolate a failing unit. Put a leaking or nonstop-cycling softener in bypass.
5. Note the equipment. Write down the model of the softener, any filters and the water heater.

Symptoms and causes

Cost factors

The water source shapes everything: a WSSC home may need only a softener sized to the tap reading, while a home with its own supply may need filtration as well. Household size, distance to a drain, existing loops in newer construction, and removal of old equipment all play a part. In Prince George's County, all plumbing permits come from WSSC, and the Town of Upper Marlboro points to the county for other permitting. Water heater replacements require a WSSC permit, and the plumber can say whether a softener install does.