Every guide, one page

Everything we've written for homeowners — free, no sign-up, and made to be shared. Print them, forward them, tape them inside the utility closet.

The guides

• PDF What Actually Fixes It The big one: Reverse Osmosis (RO), whole-home filtration, softeners — what each removes, what each misses, the map of where everything goes in a house, and the full filter-by-contaminant chart. 4 pages · start here
• PDF The Case Files Three real local systems — Fairfax Water, DC Water, Newport News — read honestly from their own public test data: what was found, what it means per glass, what fixes it. 4 pages · real data
• PDF The Homeowner's Water Tour How water actually moves through your house: meter, main shut-off, pressure regulator (PRV), the water heater up close, backflow, and your pipes by era — plus the 10-minute self-tour. 4 pages · know your house
• PDF When Water Goes Wrong The emergency playbook: eight do-first moves for burst pipes, heater leaks, boil advisories, frozen pipes, and more. Tape it inside the utility closet. 2 pages · keep this
• PDF The Water Year A fridge-ready seasonal calendar: twelve small moves — three per season — that prevent the expensive stuff. Check the boxes as you go. 1 page · fridge-ready
• PDF Eight Questions to Ask Anyone Selling You a Water System The cheat sheet that exposes a bad pitch — certifications, your own numbers, ownership cost, proof it worked. Bring it to anyone, including us. 1 page · take shopping

Want your own water system's case file? Every local utility has a one-page file like the ones in The Case Files. It's free with your ZIP's water report — or just ask and we'll send yours.

Quick reads

• READ How to read your water report in 2 minutes “Legal” isn’t the same as “recommended” — and one number matters more than the rest. 2 min
• READ Pitcher vs Reverse Osmosis (RO) vs whole-home What each one does, what each one can’t, and how to choose for your house. 2 min
• READ The 2-month rule for water filters A filter past its date doesn’t just stop helping — it can make things worse. 2 min
• READ What your water report can’t see: your house City data ends at the street. Your pipes, pressure, and water heater are their own story. 2 min
• READ Why your water smells like a pool some weeks The spring chlorine smell, explained — and what actually helps. 2 min
• ALL All quick reads The full list — new reads land here first. /blog

Made to forward

• Pitcher vs Reverse Osmosis (RO)
• The Fairfax 473× stat
• Hard water vs your heater
• Formula? Check nitrate
• Bottled water math, with receipts