Water Filtration in Venice, Los Angeles

Is Venice on the same water as Marina del Rey?

No, and it surprises people. Venice is LADWP. Marina del Rey, the 90292 zip code just south, is served by an LA County waterworks district that buys all of its water from the Metropolitan Water District. Two neighbors a few blocks apart can have different utilities, different reports and different numbers, which is why we start every job by checking whose name is on your bill.

What do people in Venice notice in their water?

The disinfectant taste first. LADWP uses chloramine, which holds up longer in the pipes than chlorine and is harder to taste away. In apartments and condos that is usually the whole complaint: the drinking water tastes like a pool.

In houses, especially older bungalows and homes along the canals, the other thing we hear about is discolored water after the taps sit. Many Venice homes are old enough to have galvanized or early copper supply lines, and rust or sediment from the pipe shows up as tinted water, not as a problem with the city supply.

Close to the beach there is a third issue that has nothing to do with water quality. Salt air is hard on exterior plumbing, so anything we mount outside, from a filter housing to a hose bib, gets corrosion-resistant fittings and a cover.

What can you install in a Venice house compared with a condo or apartment?

In a house you control the main line, so you can treat everything. A whole-home carbon system on the main takes the chloramine taste and smell out of every tap and shower. On narrow Venice lots that often means an exterior install in the side yard, on a pad, with a cover against the marine air. Add an under-sink RO system for purified drinking water and most houses are done.

In a condo you usually do not have your own main line, so whole-home treatment is off the table unless your unit has its own shutoff. What you can do is treat the water you drink and cook with. An under-sink RO system fits in a standard kitchen cabinet. A shower filter rated for chloramine helps with the smell in the bathroom. Check your CC&Rs before drilling a countertop for an RO faucet.

Renters have the fewest choices but still have good ones. A countertop RO unit or faucet-mount filter needs no plumbing changes and moves with you. An under-sink system is a small modification, so ask your landlord first; when you move out we can remove it and cap the line. Our condo and apartment guide goes through each option.

Does a Venice home need a softener at 6 grains?

Usually not as the first purchase. A softener is the only thing that removes hardness from the whole house, and at about 6 grains per gallon most Venice households do not see enough scale to justify the drain, the outlet and the salt. Where it makes sense is a house with a specific scale complaint or a test at your own tap that reads higher than the LADWP average.

If you want scale protection without salt, a salt-free system conditions the minerals so they stick less, but the water will still test hard and your glass will still spot. We explain the tradeoffs in our softener, salt-free and carbon comparison.