Water treatment · Kelowna & area
Water filtration & softening in Kelowna
Water softener installation and repair, whole-home filters on the main line, and under-sink reverse osmosis for drinking water, matched to what's in your water and tied into your existing plumbing. Filter changes and repairs on existing systems too.
Anderson Plumbing and Gas Fitting · owner-operated · last updated
Quick answer
For water softeners and filtration in Kelowna, call Anderson Plumbing and Gas Fitting at (250) 859-3548. We install whole-home softeners and filters, sediment filters and under-sink reverse osmosis, and service or repair systems you already have.
A softener and a filter fix different things. A softener takes out the calcium and magnesium that leave scale on fixtures, kettles and inside your water heater. A filter deals with sediment and chlorine taste and odour, and an under-sink reverse osmosis system removes most dissolved solids for drinking water. Customers' Google reviews include a whole-home filtration and softening install; the right setup for you depends on what's in your water and what's bothering you.
Hardness depends on your water utility. Kelowna has four providers (the City of Kelowna, Rutland Waterworks, Black Mountain Irrigation District and Glenmore-Ellison Improvement District), so check the name on your water bill. City of Kelowna water tested at 128 to 131 mg/L total hardness in the City's 2025 annual water report, and GEID's 2024 annual report lists about 128 mg/L on its Okanagan Lake supply. That is in the hard range (121 to 180 mg/L), enough to scale kettles, fixtures and water heaters. Across the bridge, the City of West Kelowna's 2025 report lists about 43 mg/L on Powers Creek and about 90 mg/L on Rose Valley, so homes a few kilometres apart can have quite different water.
How an install runs: we look at your water report and what you want to fix, recommend a system and give you a fair, upfront price. A whole-home softener or filter goes on the main line with a bypass valve, so it can be serviced without shutting off the house, and a softener's drain goes in with an air gap. Reverse osmosis units go under the sink with their own faucet and drain connection, and we leak-check everything before we leave.
What affects the price: the type and size of system, whether we supply it or you do, how much room there is near the main shut-off, where the nearest drain and outlet are, and whether old equipment has to come out first.
Services covered
Water softener installation
Whole-home softeners installed on the main line with a bypass valve and an air-gapped drain, to cut hard-water scale on fixtures, kettles and your water heater. We can also install a unit you've already bought, or handle a water softener replacement when the old one fails.
Reverse osmosis system installation
Under-sink reverse osmosis with a dedicated faucet, drain connection and leak check, or a simpler under-sink water filter installation. Fridge and ice maker lines can be connected too.
Whole house water filtration
Filtration on the main water line for sediment, chlorine taste and odour, and sediment filter installation to catch sand, grit and rust before they reach fixtures and the water heater.
Water filtration maintenance and repair
Cartridge and membrane changes when they're due, water filtration system repair or replacement, and water softener repair for units that won't regenerate, use too much salt or leak, failed bypass valves, and low pressure after a filter.
Your utility’s water report
Your water utility’s annual report lists hardness. The City of Kelowna’s 2025 report shows its treated Okanagan Lake water at 128 to 131 mg/L total hardness.
Source: kelowna.caSigns your water could use treatment
- White scale on kettles, shower heads and taps
- Spots on glasses and dishes after the dishwasher
- Soap and detergent that will not lather well
- Water that tastes or smells of chlorine
- Water pressure dropped after a filter was installed
- A softener that has stopped using salt, or water that feels hard again
First checks before you buy or call
A few things you can look at yourself.
Look up your water report
Your utility's annual water quality report lists hardness and other results. It's the starting point for deciding between a softener, a filter or both.
Check the kettle
White crust inside the kettle or on the shower head is hardness. A chlorine taste is a filter question, not a softener one.
Softener not softening?
Check there is salt in the brine tank, the bypass valve is set to service, and the clock or display is right after a power outage.
Low pressure after a filter?
A clogged cartridge restricts flow. If it has been in longer than the maker recommends, change it first.
Find space and a drain
A softener needs room near the main shut-off, a drain for its regeneration water and usually an outlet. Knowing where those are speeds up the quote.
Already bought one?
Keep the manual and model number handy. We can install it and tell you before it goes in if it is not a good fit for your water.
Licence and how we work
Gas contractor licensed with Technical Safety BC (LGA0212697).
- Owner-operated. The owner quotes every job and is on site for the work.
- A fair, upfront price first. You get the price before any work starts, so you can say yes or no before you are committed.
- Gas work under permit. We pull the permit on gas work, and we can put the permit number and our licence number on your invoice.
- Honest repair-or-replace advice. We assess the job first and explain your options in plain language. If a repair makes more sense than a new unit, that's what we'll tell you.
What customers say
5.0 on Google from 57 reviews · Read Google reviews“Dylan did a great job, competitively priced and on time, installing whole home water filtration and softening.”
“Big thank you to Dylan! If you need a hardworking and knowledgeable plumber - he is your guy. He was punctual, responsive and very friendly. Dylan came prepared and on time, completing a new sink and reverse osmosis set up for us. His rates are fantastic and he is very good at what he does. We will be hiring him again in the future.”
Questions, answered
Is Kelowna water hard?
Yes. City of Kelowna water tested at 128 to 131 mg/L total hardness (as calcium carbonate) in the City's 2025 annual water report, and GEID reports about 128 mg/L on its Okanagan Lake supply, which is in the hard range (121 to 180 mg/L). That is enough to leave scale on fixtures and inside water heaters and tankless units, so a softener is often worth it here.
Do I need a water softener or a filter?
They fix different things. A softener removes the hardness minerals that cause scale and spotting; a filter or reverse osmosis system deals with chlorine, sediment and taste. Some homes benefit from both. Your utility's water report and what's bothering you decide which.
Can you install a system I already bought?
Usually, yes. We install it on the main line or under the sink with the bypass, drain and connections it needs, and tell you before it goes in if it isn't a good fit for your water.
How much maintenance do these need?
Softeners need salt topped up now and then. Most cartridge filters are changed every six to twelve months and reverse osmosis membranes last a few years; your system's manual gives the exact intervals. We can do filter and membrane changes when they're due; just call.
Do you repair water softeners?
Yes. We repair softeners that use too much salt, won’t regenerate, leak, or have stopped softening, checking the control valve, brine tank and bypass. Tell us the make and what it is doing, and we will tell you whether a repair or a replacement makes more sense.
Does a softener need a drain?
Yes. A softener flushes itself during regeneration, so it needs a drain nearby, connected with an air gap so drain water can never be drawn back into the system.
Is hard water bad for my water heater?
Hardness leaves scale in tanks and inside tankless heat exchangers, which is why tankless units need regular descaling. A softener reduces that buildup.
Areas we serve
Kelowna, West Kelowna, Lake Country (including Oyama), Vernon and Peachland.
Water filtration & softening by town
Get an honest answer and a fair, upfront price
We are open 24/7 and tell you honestly when we can be there. You get the price before any work starts.