The tank holds 2 cubic feet of arsenic-selective strong-base anion exchange resin. As water passes through, arsenate ions bind to the resin and harmless chloride ions are released in exchange, the same ion exchange principle a water softener uses for hardness. When the metered valve reaches its programmed capacity, it automatically regenerates the resin with brine from the salt tank, flushing the accumulated arsenic down the drain and restoring the bed to full capacity.

Disposable arsenic filters (granular iron oxide, titanium dioxide, alumina, or non-regenerable hybrid resin) are consumables: when the media reaches capacity you pay to replace it, typically $900 or more per cubic foot every 1 to 5 years. This system regenerates its own resin automatically with ordinary water softener salt, so there is no media replacement schedule. The trade-off is that it needs an outlet, a drain line, and periodic salt refills, like a water softener.

The resin is highly effective on arsenate (As V), the most common form in well water with any oxygen present. Arsenite (As III) binds poorly to any arsenic media and must be oxidized to arsenate first, usually with chlorination or an oxidizing filter upstream. An arsenic speciation lab test tells you which form you have. Most US well water arsenic is already arsenate.

All of them. The system flows about 12 GPM continuously, enough for 1 to 6 bathrooms. Because regeneration is triggered by gallons actually used, a 2 person household and a 7 person household both get correctly timed regenerations from the same hardware; the smaller home simply regenerates less often.

The known failure mode in the arsenic industry belongs to exhausted disposable adsorptive media, which can release accumulated arsenic at concentrations above the source water. This system avoids running to exhaustion in the first place: the metered valve regenerates the bed before capacity is reached. That is also why we program the regeneration schedule with you over the phone from your actual lab numbers, and why an annual treated-water test is the standard verification step.

Iron above 0.3 ppm will foul the resin and shorten its life. Install an iron filter upstream first; our Katalox Light iron filters are the standard recommendation. The correct order is sediment filter, iron filter, softener if needed, then the arsenic system last. Send us your water test and we will confirm the right treatment train.

Yes. Sulfate competes with arsenate for exchange sites on anion resin, so high-sulfate water shortens the run length between regenerations. It does not stop the system from working, but the regeneration schedule must account for it. If your lab report shows elevated sulfate, call us with the numbers before ordering.

Yes, always. We will not knowingly sell an arsenic system to someone who has not tested. Arsenic treatment is programmed from lab numbers, not guesses: arsenic concentration and form, pH, iron, manganese, and sulfate all shape the setup. A certified lab panel with arsenic speciation is the right starting point, and Aidan reads the results with you at no charge.

Yes. The plumbing is the same as a water softener: 1 inch threaded connections on a pre-installed stainless bypass, a 1/2 inch drain line, a brine line to the salt tank, and a standard outlet. Most homeowners with basic plumbing skills finish in 1 to 2 hours, or any local plumber can do it. We support you by phone and text before, during, and after the install.