High TDS Water: Salty, Bitter or Flat Taste

Signs of high TDS

• Salty, bitter or mineral taste
• Coffee and tea that taste off
• Spots and film on glasses and fixtures
• A high reading on a handheld TDS meter

What the standards say

California’s secondary (aesthetic) standard for TDS has three levels: 500 mg/L recommended, 1,000 mg/L upper and 1,500 mg/L short-term [California secondary drinking water standards (Title 22)]. The federal guideline is 500 mg/L [State Water Board: MCLs, DLRs and PHGs, incl. secondary standards]. In the USGS study of the Northern San Joaquin Valley, TDS was high in about 6% of the primary aquifers [USGS Fact Sheet 2010-3079: Groundwater quality, Northern San Joaquin Valley], and the CDC recommends that private well owners test for TDS at least once a year [CDC: Guidelines for testing well water].

How we treat it

For high TDS, we install reverse osmosis. RO pushes water through a very fine membrane that reduces dissolved salts and minerals, giving you crisp, clean water for drinking, cooking, coffee and ice. We size it to your water and your household, and test the water before and after.

If hardness is also high, a water softener protects the rest of the house while RO handles the drinking water. See hard water.

What RO gives you

• Confidence in every glass, and water your family actually wants to drink.
• No more bottled water spending. Delivered 5-gallon water typically runs $7 to $10 a bottle [HomeGuide: Water delivery cost]. See the bottled water comparison.
• Better coffee, tea, ice and cooking.
• Service from the same local team that installed it.

What makes up TDS

TDS is a measure of how much “stuff” is dissolved in your water, such as calcium or sodium [CDC: Guidelines for testing well water]. It can include hardness minerals, sodium, chloride, sulfate and more. A high number doesn’t tell you which ones are present, which is why a TDS reading is a starting point, not a diagnosis. Our test looks at the parts that matter for choosing equipment.

TDS meter or water test?

A handheld TDS meter is a handy quick check, and it’s a good way to see the difference RO makes. But it can’t tell you whether high TDS comes from hardness, salts or something else. Our free in-home test, plus a lab test where it’s needed, tells us what’s in your water so the RO system is set up for it.

What an RO system looks like and what it needs

A reverse osmosis system has a few stages: pre-filters that protect the membrane, the membrane itself, a storage tank and a final polishing filter, with a dedicated faucet at the sink. Filters are typically changed once a year, and we sanitize and test the membrane and tank at service. Our own team installs and services it.

High TDS plus hard water

High TDS often comes with hard water. RO takes care of drinking water, but the rest of your home still sees the hardness. A water softener protects your water heater, fixtures and appliances, and it also helps protect the RO membrane. We’ll recommend the combination only if your test calls for it.

High TDS near you

We install reverse osmosis across the corridor: Manteca · Lathrop · Stockton · Patterson · Hughson · Turlock · Modesto.