# The Water Helper > The Water Helper is an independent site that tests and compares household water treatment equipment in the United States: water softeners, reverse osmosis systems and filters. It also publishes what each public water utility reported in its annual Consumer Confidence Report at https://thewaterhelper.com/water-quality — lead, PFAS, nitrate, arsenic, disinfection byproducts, chlorine, bacteria and hardness — using data from TheWaterMap.com, licensed CC BY 4.0. What sets it apart: reviews built on actual measurements, a free water report lookup by city that also says what each measurement justifies buying, and prices refreshed regularly. The site is independent, with no brand or plumber behind it. Some recommendations carry affiliate links, always disclosed, which influence neither the selection nor the ranking of products. Two limits are stated plainly throughout: a Consumer Confidence Report describes the water leaving the system rather than the water at your tap, and hardness is not a regulated contaminant, so most utilities never publish it. ## Water Softeners - [Water Softeners](https://thewaterhelper.com/water-softeners): Which water softener to install, what it costs, and the hardness where it starts paying for itself. My picks, how to size one, and the real cost of salt. - [Best Water Softener in 2026: My Honest Ranking](https://thewaterhelper.com/water-softeners/comparisons/best-water-softener): What is the best water softener in 2026? My ranking by situation (household, hardness, budget), the valve that actually matters, and the models to avoid. - [Do Magnetic and Electronic Descalers Work?](https://thewaterhelper.com/water-softeners/guides/do-magnetic-descalers-work): Magnetic boxes, electronic descalers and salt-free conditioners: what the measurements say, what these devices actually do, and what really works instead. - [Water Softener Installation Cost: The Full 2026 Budget](https://thewaterhelper.com/water-softeners/guides/water-softener-installation-cost): What it costs to install a water softener: the plumber's quote and what it covers, doing it yourself, and the traps of the in-home sales pitch. - [Which Salt for a Water Softener? Formats, Purity and Real Cost](https://thewaterhelper.com/water-softeners/guides/water-softener-salt-types): Pellets, crystals or blocks: which salt to use in a water softener, what purity to look for, how many bags a year, and where to buy it cheapest per pound. - [What Size Water Softener Do You Need? The 2026 Guide](https://thewaterhelper.com/water-softeners/guides/what-size-water-softener): Sizing a water softener on your actual hardness: the grains-per-gallon scale, the grain capacity per household, and the three models I would pick in 2026. - [Fleck 5600SXT Review: The Best-Selling Valve in the Business](https://thewaterhelper.com/water-softeners/reviews/fleck-5600-sxt-review): A review of the Fleck 5600SXT water softener: what this metered valve is really worth, how to set it, its common failures, and which household it fits. - [Is a Water Softener Worth It? The 10-Year Math](https://thewaterhelper.com/water-softeners/tools/water-softener-10-year-cost): Work out the real cost of a water softener over 10 years: purchase, install, salt, water and power, against what it avoids. The method and the break-even by hardness. ## Reverse Osmosis - [Reverse Osmosis](https://thewaterhelper.com/reverse-osmosis-systems): Which under-sink reverse osmosis system to install, what it costs, and what it actually removes. My picks, the truth about wastewater, and the maintenance nobody mentions. - [Tankless Reverse Osmosis: What You Gain, What You Give Up](https://thewaterhelper.com/reverse-osmosis-systems/comparisons/tankless-reverse-osmosis): Tankless on-demand RO against a five-stage with a tank: space under the sink, wastewater, real flow, price and consumables. What tankless actually changes. - [Reverse Osmosis or a Pitcher Filter? What to Choose in 2026](https://thewaterhelper.com/reverse-osmosis-systems/guides/reverse-osmosis-vs-pitcher-filter): Pitcher, faucet filter or reverse osmosis: what each one actually removes, what it costs a year, and which to choose based on what your utility reported. - [Waterdrop G3P600 Review: The Tankless Reverse Osmosis System](https://thewaterhelper.com/reverse-osmosis-systems/reviews/waterdrop-g3p600-review): A review of the Waterdrop G3P600: what its 600 GPD and 2:1 ratio are worth, what its NSF certification actually covers, and the real cost of proprietary cartridges. - [Reverse Osmosis vs Bottled Water: The Full Math](https://thewaterhelper.com/reverse-osmosis-systems/tools/reverse-osmosis-vs-bottled-water): What bottled water really costs against a reverse osmosis system: price per gallon, payback, wastewater and hauling. The method, to run with your own numbers. ## Water Filters - [Water Filters](https://thewaterhelper.com/water-filters): Pitcher, faucet mount or under-sink: which water filter to pick to improve your tap water, what it costs, and what it really does to the taste. - [Which Under-Sink Water Filter to Choose in 2026](https://thewaterhelper.com/water-filters/comparisons/under-sink-water-filters): Under-sink filters: real cartridge capacity, cost per gallon, installation, and the difference with reverse osmosis. The models I would pick, and for what. - [Chlorine Taste in Tap Water: Where It Comes From, How to Get Rid of It](https://thewaterhelper.com/water-filters/guides/chlorine-taste-tap-water): Why your tap water tastes like a swimming pool, what that says about its quality, and the fixes that actually work — from a pitcher to an under-sink filter. - [PUR PLUS Faucet Filter Review: What It Really Does](https://thewaterhelper.com/water-filters/reviews/brita-faucet-filter-review): A review of the PUR PLUS faucet mount: what it actually filters, its real cost per gallon, the faucet compatibility question, and the alternatives. - [How to Test Your Water Hardness at Home](https://thewaterhelper.com/water-filters/tools/test-water-hardness-at-home): Test strips, titration kits or a TDS meter: the three ways to measure water hardness at home, how accurate each really is, and the ppm-versus-grains trap. - [Water Hardness by City: Why Your Report Probably Doesn't List It](https://thewaterhelper.com/water-filters/tools/water-hardness-by-city): Finding your water hardness in grains per gallon: what utilities publish and what they leave out, why most reports skip hardness, and how to get the number anyway. ## À propos - [Accueil](https://thewaterhelper.com/): The Water Helper - [Qui suis-je](https://thewaterhelper.com/qui-suis-je) - [Contact](https://thewaterhelper.com/contact)