Deep Dive

The Science Behind
Edmonton's Water.

To engineer the perfect filtration system, you first have to understand the chemistry of the source. Discover exactly what flows through the North Saskatchewan River and into your home.

North Saskatchewan River water turbidity and Edmonton municipal water source

THE SOURCE

The North
Saskatchewan River.

All of Edmonton’s drinking water is drawn from the North Saskatchewan River. While it’s a beautiful natural resource, it is a dynamic ecosystem subject to massive seasonal changes.

During the spring runoff, melting snow pulls massive amounts of silt, clay, and organic matter into the river. This phenomenon, known as high turbidity, forces municipal treatment plants to radically increase their chemical dosing to maintain safety standards.

THE BREAKDOWN

What Exactly is in the Water?

Our municipal facilities do an excellent job keeping the water safe, but "safe" does not mean "pure" or "luxurious." Here are the three main molecular challenges we solve.

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Chloramine & Chlorine

To kill bacteria, Edmonton injects chloramine—a toxic bond of chlorine and ammonia. It resists dissipation, meaning it arrives strong at your tap. It causes foul smells, dries out your skin, and affects the taste of your cooking.

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Calcium & Magnesium

Edmonton has incredibly "hard" water, regularly exceeding 180 mg/L. These dissolved minerals crystalize inside your plumbing when heated, creating scale that destroys water heaters, clogs showerheads, and ruins dishwashers.

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Sediment & Organics

Microscopic dirt, rust from aging municipal pipes, and organic compounds make their way into your home. These abrasive particles wear down fixtures over time and contribute to cloudy, unappealing drinking water.

Microscopic reverse osmosis filter membrane eliminating Edmonton chloramine and heavy metals

THE EWF SOLUTION

How Our Architecture Fixes It.

You can't control the municipal water main, but you can control what enters your home's boundaries. EWF deploys multi-stage technological defenses.

✦ Carbon Catalytic Blocks: The first line of defense. Advanced carbon arrays strip the chemical bonds of chloramine instantly, returning the water back to an odorless, tasteless state.
✦ Ion-Exchange Softening: Our intelligent softeners use precision resin beads that magnetically attract and grab calcium and magnesium molecules out of the water, replacing them with undetectable, soft sodium ions. Say goodbye to scale completely.
✦ Reverse Osmosis (RO): For pinpoint drinking purity, our RO membranes force water through microscopic pores at extremely high pressure. Anything larger than a water molecule—including fluoride and heavy metals—gets rejected and flushed away.

Get Your Home Assessed

The Science BehindEdmonton's Water.