Manatee · Sarasota · Hillsborough · Charlotte
Under-Sink Drinking Water Systems
in Tampa.
Tampa sits on its own supply: the Hillsborough River, treated by the City of Tampa Water Department and disinfected with monochloramine rather than plain chlorine. Neighborhoods from New Tampa and Carrollwood through South Tampa are on that same city supply, so the chloramine taste and 10.8 grain hardness show up in kitchens across the area.
4.7★ from 205 Google reviews · WQA Gold Seal Puronics dealer · Our own techs, no subcontractors
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Chloramine Is the Real Obstacle
Chloramine was chosen because it holds up longer in the distribution system than chlorine alone, but that stability is exactly why it’s harder to filter out. Standard activated carbon, the kind found in most pitcher and faucet filters, wasn’t designed for it and loses effectiveness quickly. Reverse osmosis paired with a catalytic carbon stage, rated for high-volume chloramine reduction, is what actually strips the taste and lowers dissolved solids for a cleaner glass of water.
- Puronics Micromax 7000 — a multi-stage RO system installed under the sink that reduces chlorine taste and TDS for better-tasting drinking and cooking water.
- Puronics Defender iGen — whole-home conditioning that tackles hardness and chloramine at the point of entry, extending the life of the RO membrane and every fixture in the home.
Tampa is one of our strongest markets — Hydrology has installed 60-plus systems throughout the area, including a concentration in New Tampa, which means there’s a good chance a neighbor a few streets over already has one running.
What is actually in Tampa’s drinking water
Your supply comes from the City of Tampa Water Department, disinfected with monochloramine at 3.5 ppm against a 4.0 ppm limit, and running 10.8 grains per gallon hard. Disinfection byproducts here are the lowest we see anywhere: TTHM 17.2 ppb and HAA5 12.1 ppb. We will not make that argument to you.
The thing worth understanding before you buy: a whole-home softener and an under-sink reverse osmosis unit are certified for almost entirely different lists. The softener handles hardness across the whole house. The RO handles the dissolved-solids side at one tap — lead, nitrate, arsenic, chromium-6, cysts, TDS. Neither covers the other’s list, which is why we fit both rather than pretend one does everything.
Certification is worth checking rather than trusting: reverse osmosis is NSF/ANSI 58, PFAS reduction is NSF/ANSI 53, and NSF/ANSI 372 means the parts are lead-free — it is not a lead removal claim, and quotes misuse it constantly.
Locally: Tampa is largely newer construction, so the question is usually whether the builder’s rough-in will actually take a system rather than whether there is room for one.
Figures are from the City of Tampa’s own 2024 Water Quality Report, published in 2025. Where a utility does not publish something, we say so rather than estimate it. The water test is free and carries no obligation.
The full buyer’s guide — certifications, prices and the questions to ask →
Schedule a Free Water Test
Before you decide on anything, get a free in-home water test with no obligation attached. Hydrology is family-owned and firefighter-founded, and the technician who tests your water is the one who’ll install your system if you move forward. Call or text 941-266-8991.
What your neighbors say
4.7★ from 205 Google reviews.
“I cannot say enough amazing things about this company and system! We had three companies come out and Hydrology stood out on every level.”
“We’ve had our system now a month and absolutely love it. My wife is a hair beautician with over 30 years of experience and definitely can tell the difference with the water.”
“Wow, I can definitely feel a difference in my hair, skin, and when I wash my hands. I knew getting a water softener was a priority and I’m so glad I decided to go with Hydrology.”
Every review is on our Google profile — read all of them there. We don’t cherry-pick; we just answer the phone.
Straight answers
Tampa Drinking Water — common questions
What people in your area ask before they call.
What does a reverse osmosis drinking system remove?
RO reduces a wide range of dissolved contaminants — PFAS, lead, nitrate, fluoride, sodium, and the dissolved solids behind taste and odor. In Tampa, hard river water with a chloramine residual makes better-tasting drinking water a common upgrade. It installs under the kitchen sink.
Is RO better than a fridge or pitcher filter in Tampa?
A pitcher or fridge filter mainly improves taste; RO removes a far broader list down to a much smaller particle size and gives filtered water on demand from its own faucet. For Tampa drinking water, RO is the step up.
Does reverse osmosis remove PFAS?
Yes — and we can point at a certification instead of just saying so. Our Micromax 8500 is certified to NSF/ANSI 53 for PFOA and PFOS reduction, which is a third-party tested claim rather than a marketing line. The Micromax 7000 is certified to NSF/ANSI 42, 58 and 372 but not for PFAS, so if PFAS is the reason you are calling, the 8500 is the one to ask about. One honest caveat: the EPA notes that current certifications do not yet show a filter reduces PFAS all the way down to the new federal limits. A free in-home test tells us what your Tampa water is actually dealing with.
