Water filtration and softeners in Reading, PA
Willow Springs Water Company serves Reading homes from our base in Sinking Spring. Reading's water comes from Lake Ontelaunee and is treated with chlorine, and more than half the city's homes were built before 1940, when lead pipes and solder were common. We test your water for free, then filter or soften it.
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Reading's water, by the numbers
From the Reading Area Water Authority's 2025 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report.
| 2025 result | |
|---|---|
| Source | Lake Ontelaunee (fed by Maiden Creek and Sacony Creek), treated at the Maiden Creek Filter Plant |
| People served | About 95,100 (EPA) |
| Disinfectant | Chlorine, up to 3.07 ppm in the distribution system |
| Lead, 90th percentile | 0 ppb (0 of 31 homes over the action level) |
| Copper, 90th percentile | 0.204 ppm |
| Nitrate | Up to 3.79 ppm (limit 10) |
| Sodium | Up to 26.8 ppm (above EPA's 20 mg/L guideline for people on sodium-restricted diets) |
| PFAS | PFOA up to 8.53 ppt (state limit 14); PFOS 3.28 ppt (state limit 18) |
| Trihalomethanes | Up to 69.7 ppb (limit 80) |
| Hardness | Not listed. We test it free. |
| Violations | One turbidity reading on one filter in April 2025, which RAWA attributed to an instrument malfunction |
Older homes and lead
Census data show 54.6% of Reading's homes were built in 1939 or earlier. In homes that old, lead can come from the service line, from lead solder (banned in Pennsylvania plumbing in 1991) and from older brass fixtures, even when the water leaving the plant has none.
Check your service line. RAWA's service line inventory map shows what's on record for your address. RAWA replaces confirmed lead lines at no cost.
Test at the tap. Only a certified lab test shows whether lead is getting into your water. We can help you arrange one.
Filter drinking water. A reverse osmosis system at the kitchen sink reduces lead. Reverse osmosis →
What Reading homeowners ask us about
Chlorine taste and smell. A whole-home carbon filter removes it at every tap. From $2,895 →
PFAS and sodium in drinking water. Tankless RO, $1,195 installed.
Hardness. We test it free; softeners from $2,295. Prices →
Water treatment services in Reading
Water Softeners
Sized to your hardness to stop scale and spots.
Whole-Home Filtration
Chlorine or chloramine taste and smell reduced at every tap.
Reverse Osmosis
Purified drinking water at your kitchen sink.
Well Water Treatment
Iron, sulfur, acidic water and bacteria.
Free Water Testing
We test at your sink and explain the results.
Water Softener Repair
Salt bridges, settings, resin and valve problems.
How it works
Request your instant free quote
Fill out the free quote form or call (610) 400-3132. Tell us your address and whether you're on city water or a well.
We quote you on the spot
You get a clear price for your system right then, starting from a base package at a set price.
A free water test confirms your setup
Before we install, we test your actual water for free so you only pay for the treatment your water needs.
We install your system
We install it cleanly, show you how it works, and let you know when filters and service are due.
Reading water: common questions
Where does Reading's water come from?
The Reading Area Water Authority's 2025 report says the city's water comes from Lake Ontelaunee, a 1,082-acre lake six miles north of Reading fed mainly by Maiden Creek, and is treated at the Maiden Creek Filter Plant.
Does Reading use chlorine or chloramine?
Chlorine. RAWA's 2025 report lists chlorine as the disinfectant, at up to about 3 ppm in the distribution system. A whole-home carbon filter removes the taste and smell.
Is Reading water hard?
RAWA's 2025 report doesn't list hardness, so we don't publish a number. Our free in-home test measures it in a few minutes.
Does Reading have lead pipes?
Some older homes may. RAWA has published a service line inventory map you can search by address, and replaces confirmed lead service lines at no cost. RAWA's 2025 lead testing found a 90th-percentile result of 0 ppb, with no sites over the action level. Lead can also come from solder and fixtures inside older homes, and more than half of Reading's homes were built before 1940.
What else is in Reading tap water?
RAWA's 2025 report shows nitrate up to 3.79 ppm (limit 10), sodium up to 26.8 ppm, PFOA up to 8.53 parts per trillion (state limit 14) and trihalomethanes up to 69.7 ppb (limit 80). A reverse osmosis system at the kitchen sink reduces all of these in drinking water.
Do you serve Reading?
Yes. Reading is about 15 minutes from our base in Sinking Spring. Call (610) 400-3132 or book a free water test.
Written by Sam Beiler, co-founder of Willow Springs Water Company, Sinking Spring, PA. Last updated October 2026.
- Reading Area Water Authority, 2025 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report
- Reading Area Water Authority, Service Line Inventory map
- U.S. EPA ECHO, community water systems in Berks County
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year, Table B25034 (Year Structure Built), Reading city
- Penn State Extension, Corrosive Water Problems