Water Softener in Erie, CO

Erie's water source

The Town of Erie owns and runs its water system, with about 13,228 taps listed in the latest report. The main supply is Colorado-Big Thompson water piped from Carter Lake, backed by the Northern Colorado Pipeline, Erie Lake, Thomas Reservoir, Gross Reservoir and the South Boulder County Ditch. All of those are surface water, treated at the Lynn R. Morgan Water Treatment Facility in town and disinfected with chlorine. Connections to Lafayette and Lefthand are for emergencies only. The report, covering 2024, does not state hardness.

Without a published number, any recommendation should start with a reading from your own tap. Erie has grown from an old coal-mining town into a fast-growing suburb, and in newer houses a builder-installed water heater that has never been flushed can shed sediment that looks a lot like hard-water scale. A plumber checking the heater along with the tap reading will tell the two apart.

Comparing your options

Signs to watch

• Crust building on showerheads and aerators
• Film on dishes even with a good detergent
• Popping sounds from the water heater
• A tankless unit flagging scale errors
• Chlorine smell strong enough to bother you

Timing and permits

Erie's Building Division requires a permit for plumbing modifications and for water heater installation or replacement, though swapping a fixture in the same spot does not need one. If a new heater is on the horizon, adding a softener at the same visit keeps permit and labor in one job. Garage installs should be insulated or placed away from the overhead door, since winter cold can freeze the brine line and valve. If you decide on a carbon filter instead, the same advice about location and permits applies, because a whole-house unit also cuts into the main line. Changing cartridges or media on schedule keeps the filter from becoming a restriction that lowers pressure.