{"product_id":"whole-house-water-filter-bethesda-md","title":"Bethesda Whole House Water Filter \u0026 Softener | Catalytic Carbon + Fleck 5600SXT","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"product-description-seo\"\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eBethesda Whole House Water Filter \u0026amp; Softener: Built for WSSC Water\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA two-stage whole house system built around WSSC Water's published 2025 water quality data: catalytic carbon to remove the chloramine and disinfection byproducts, then a Fleck 5600SXT 48,000-grain softener for the hard Potomac-plant supply that serves Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Potomac. Free shipping, catalog price, installed by your local plumber with free phone support from our water treatment expert.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat Is Actually in Bethesda Tap Water?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWSSC Water serves 1.9 million people in Montgomery and Prince George's counties. Bethesda sits on the Potomac filtration plant supply, which WSSC describes as hard (120-130 mg\/L, about 7.0-7.6 grains per gallon). Disinfection is by chloramine, with free residual chlorine averaging 1.05 ppm. The 2025 report shows TTHMs of 14-102 ppb (avg 66) and HAA5 of 16-79 ppb (avg 48), both compliant on running averages but with individual samples above the MCLs. Every number on this page comes from the utility's own published 2025 water quality report (EPA system ID MD0150005). \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.wsscwater.com\/wqr\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRead the official report here\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow This System Solves Each Documented Problem\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eChloramine Disinfectant:\u003c\/strong\u003e WSSC disinfects with chloramine across its distribution system, with free residual chlorine averaging 1.05 ppm and ranging up to 2.11 ppm in the 2025 report. Stage 1: Catalytic Carbon solves it: Catalytic carbon is the media grade engineered for chloramine breakdown. The 2.5 cubic foot bed (about 75 pounds of media) gives whole-house flow the contact time chloramine removal requires.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDisinfection Byproducts (TTHMs \u0026amp; HAA5):\u003c\/strong\u003e The 2025 WQR reports total trihalomethanes ranging 14-102 ppb (average 66; the federal MCL is 80 on a locational running annual average) and haloacetic acids 16-79 ppb (average 48, MCL 60). Stage 1: Catalytic Carbon solves it: Activated carbon adsorbs THMs and haloacetic acids as water passes through the bed, cutting DBP levels at every fixture in the house rather than just the kitchen tap.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHard Potomac Water (~7-7.6 gpg):\u003c\/strong\u003e WSSC's own source-water page: Potomac plant water, which serves most of Montgomery County including Bethesda, 'tends to be hard,' averaging 120-130 mg\/L (about 7.0-7.6 grains per gallon). Stage 2: Fleck 5600SXT Softener solves it: 48,000-grain metered softener removes the hardness completely and only regenerates on actual usage, which keeps salt consumption modest at Bethesda's hardness level.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat's in the System\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStage 1: Clack 2.5 cubic foot catalytic carbon filter (13x54 Vortech tank).\u003c\/strong\u003e Catalytic carbon is the media grade municipal treatment plants use for chloramine work. It removes chlorine, chloramine, disinfection byproducts (TTHMs, haloacetic acids), and the chemical taste and odor they cause, at every tap in the house. Non-backwashing design: no drain line, no electricity, no control valve to program. Water flows through, media does the work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStage 2: Fleck 5600SXT 48,000-grain water softener (10% crosslink resin).\u003c\/strong\u003e Removes the calcium and magnesium hardness documented in the Bethesda supply. Stops scale buildup in water heaters and fixtures, ends spotted glassware and stiff laundry, and protects tankless heaters and appliances. Metered demand regeneration only regenerates when you have actually used the capacity, which keeps salt and water use low.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eInstallation: Hire a Local Plumber, We Support Them by Phone\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe recommend having a licensed local plumber install this system. It is 2-4 hours of standard plumbing work on your main water line, and any competent plumber in Bethesda can do it. If your plumber has questions, Aidan (30+ years in water treatment) will walk them through the setup by phone. You get professional local installation plus expert system design, without paying a national water-treatment franchise's markup for the same hardware.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy Not a Big-Box Cartridge Filter or a Franchise System?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe $300-$700 cartridge systems sold on Amazon and at Home Depot use a few pounds of carbon in a small housing. At whole-house flow rates the water contacts the media for a fraction of a second, which is not enough for chloramine (and far too little media for a Bethesda-sized water profile). They also do nothing about hardness. On the other end, franchise dealers like Culligan sell comparable tank-based equipment at $6,000-$10,000+ installed, locked to proprietary parts and service contracts. This system is the same class of hardware the franchises install (Clack and Fleck valves are the industry standards they build on), sized correctly for the documented Bethesda water profile, at catalog price, with standard parts any plumber can service.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSized for the Documented Bethesda Water Profile\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is not a generic filter with a city name on it. The media volume, media type (catalytic vs standard carbon), and softener capacity were chosen against WSSC Water's published numbers for hardness and disinfectant residual. That is the whole point: you should not have to become a water chemistry expert to fix your water. The utility already published what is in it; we matched the equipment to it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFree shipping. Questions before you buy? Call or text Aidan at \u003ca href=\"tel:8004605810\"\u003e800-460-5810\u003c\/a\u003e, 7 days a week.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Mid Atlantic Water","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54286913700124,"sku":null,"price":3395.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0278\/9523\/4605\/files\/whole-house-water-filter-bethesda-md.jpg?v=1783540984","url":"https:\/\/midatlanticwater.net\/products\/whole-house-water-filter-bethesda-md","provider":"Mid Atlantic Water","version":"1.0","type":"link"}