As we step into 2026, many of us are looking for ways to improve our health, save more money, and live more sustainably. One of the most impactful changes you can make starts right at your kitchen tap.

Whether you are looking to ensure you and your family are drinking the purest water possible or protect your home’s plumbing, here are five ways to be better with your water this year. To keep you healthier, save more money, and invest the greatest resource at your fingertips.

1. Get Your Water Tested

You can’t fix what you haven’t identified. Long Island’s groundwater system is complex, and contaminants, ranging from nitrates to volatile organic compounds (VOCs), can vary significantly from town to town.

Before you invest in any system, you need a baseline. Simply Pure offers a free water test (covering hardness and common contaminants) for homeowners considering a system purchase. If you have specific concerns about local health advisories, we also provide paid, comprehensive tests for specific contaminants. Start the year with the peace of mind that comes from knowing exactly what is in your glass.

2. Stop Drinking Bottled Water

For years, bottled water was seen as the “safe” alternative to the tap. However, in 2026, we are more aware than ever of the downsides: the presence of PFAS (forever chemicals) leaching from plastic, the massive environmental footprint of single-use bottles, and the sheer cost.

By switching to a home filtration strategy, you eliminate the need to haul heavy cases of water from the store and significantly reduce your household’s plastic waste.

  1. Keep Your Water Bill Low

Sustainability and savings go hand-in-hand. You don’t always need a major renovation to see a difference in your monthly utility bill. Small, intentional changes add up quickly:

  • Low-Flow Upgrades: Install low-flow showerheads and toilets to reduce volume without sacrificing pressure.
  • Smart Habits: Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth and only run the dishwasher or laundry when you have a full load.
  • Leak Detection: A single dripping faucet can waste hundreds of gallons a month.

These “little things” help the environment and keep your hard-earned money in your pocket.

4. Install a Reverse Osmosis System

While your tap is the most convenient water source, Long Island water quality issues mean that “raw” tap water isn’t always ideal for drinking. A Reverse Osmosis (RO) system is the gold standard for home purification, stripping away up to 99% of impurities to provide the healthiest, best-tasting water available.

If you already have an RO system, make 2026 the year you stay on top of maintenance. Filters eventually become saturated; scheduling a professional filter change ensures your system continues to provide the high-level protection it was designed for.

5. Install a Water Softening System

Long Island water is notoriously “hard,” typically measuring between 7 to 12 grains per gallon (gpg). This is caused by high concentrations of dissolved calcium and magnesium minerals. In essence, these minerals create a “hard” environment that interferes with everything from soap lathering to appliance efficiency.

By installing a water softening system that utilizes ion exchange, you replace these “hard” ions with “soft” sodium ions. The benefits for your Long Island home are immediate:

  • Better Taste: Softened water removes the metallic or “chalky” edge from your water.
  • Personal Care: Enjoy noticeably less dry skin and hair after showering.
  • Appliance Longevity: By removing mineral deposits, you reduce the load on your water heater, dishwasher, and washing machine.
  • Cleaner Surfaces: Say goodbye to that stubborn white residue on your sinks, drains, and glass shower doors.

Simply PURE Whole House Water Softening 

Installing Simply PURE Whole-House Water Softening or a Reverse Osmosis system in your Long Island home can truly transform your daily life. These innovative systems effectively tackle the detrimental effects of hard water, addressing concerns related to skin and hair health, removing contaminants, and improving overall water quality. 

By opting for these cutting-edge systems, you can create a more comfortable and efficient living environment, offering a comprehensive solution to the challenges posed by hard water. Contact us today and ask about our free water quality analysis to get started.

Need a Water Filtration System for Your LI Home?

Fill in the details below and we’ll get back to you quickly.
Contact Us
5 Ways to Be Better with Water in 2026

About Simply PURE Water Filtration Services

Living in and serving the Long Island community, we strive to make sure everyone has access to clean, healthy water. We have the experience, knowledge, and industry-leading technology to provide clean water solutions for water impurities, contaminants, hard water, bad tasting/odors, well water, acidity & pH regulations.

Proud members of the WQA (Water Quality Association), and the EWQA (Eastern Water Quality Association), we adhere to strict guidelines and the WQA code of ethics. As a Pentair True Blue Partner and Authorized Distributor of Pentair Products, there’s nothing comparable to the performance, and efficiency of our whole house purification systems, water softeners, neutralizers, whole-house filters, and alkaline reverse osmosis systems for drinking in the convenience of your home.

NSF Water Filtration System
Pentair Water Filtration System

Our products are all NSF / ANSI certified, meeting the highest safety standards and quality performance. Providing our community with only the best experience of high quality water that’s Simply PURE from our family to yours!

Simply PURE utilizes accurate testing methods before and after system installation, as well as annual maintenance of all your water treatment equipment. Our Revolutionary Custom Built Water Treatment systems upon the completion of a Free In-Home Water Analysis, or an in-depth Comprehensive Water Analysis of your choice sent to our Certified Laboratory.

Customers Frequently Ask..

The answer to this question depends on which kind of drinking water you’re talking about. There are multiple agencies responsible for regulating water quality in the U.S., and there are some who are more critical about the way it’s handled.

________________________________________

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is in charge of overseeing the water that comes out of your tap. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees and regulates the quality of bottled water.

________________________________________

Individual states are responsible for regulating water that is bottled and sold within their borders. Finally, your municipality must make sure it is following federal and state standards regarding water quality.

________________________________________

The EPA does not regulate private wells, and rules for testing differ from state to state. In many cases, it is the homeowner’s responsibility to make sure their well water is safe.

Certain things can affect the flavor, odor, and appearance of your tap water, not all of them are necessarily harmful.

________________________________________

Many people with public water can taste the chlorine, although the most noticeable problems tend to come from private wells. Contaminants like sulfur can impact the smell, while iron will cause discoloration and staining.

________________________________________

The overall amount of total dissolved solids (TDS) in your tap water will definitely affect the taste, smell, and appearance. While many of these issues are not serious concerns, they can certainly be a nuisance. Water filtration systems, including a high-efficiency water softener to reduce hardness, can provide solutions.

This process is called “reverse” osmosis because the pressure forces the water to flow in the reverse direction (from the concentrated solution to the dilute solution) to the flow direction (from the dilute to the concentrated) in the process of natural osmosis. RO removes ionized salts, colloids, and organic molecules down to a molecular weight of 100.

________________________________________

You can get a whole-house RO, but more commonly, a point-of-use RO system would be on your countertop or installed under the sink. They’re great for treating water for cooking and drinking, but they don’t usually produce large amounts of treated water — more like 3 to 10 gallons a day. For that reason, typically people choose to install RO-treated faucets in the most popular areas of the home such as kitchens and bathrooms, as opposed to installing it for every drinking tap. Just like any other kind of filter technology, reverse osmosis systems require regular maintenance. That includes periodically replacing the unit’s prefilters, postfilters, and membrane modules.

Due to the media attention Flint, Michigan, received over its water crisis, a lot of people have questions about lead in public water systems around the U.S.

________________________________________

Lead (as well as copper) typically enters the public supply by leaching into water from corroded fixtures and outdated plumbing. Homes built before 1986 will likely have plumbing with copper pipes using solder that may contain lead.

________________________________________

Lead can cause serious negative health effects, especially in children. The challenge is that it is undetectable by human senses. You can check with your local water authority for information about lead levels, but it’s important to note that the CDC and EPA say there’s no level of lead recognized as safe for consumption.

________________________________________

If you have concerns about the presence of lead in your water, you can have it tested in a state-certified laboratory. You can also read more in our article on lead in drinking water.

Softening hard water can mitigate many of its objectionable effects. Water softening can be done either at point of entry or point of use. One of the unique advantages offered by point-of-use water softening is the opportunity for homemakers to have either hard or soft water for drinking. This choice is not available if the water supply is softened municipally. Hardness minerals can be reduced in water to make it “softer” by using one of three basic means:

  • Chemical softening—lime softening, hot and cold; lime-soda softening
  • Membrane separation softening—Nano filtration
  • Cation exchange softening—inorganic, carbonaceous, or organic base exchangers
  • Softening water for home needs is done almost exclusively through the use of cation exchange.

Contact Us - Lets Get In Touch!

Contact Us
Customer Testimonials

"Absolutely amazing service from beginning to end. Trustworthy and reliable to work with. And the water taste!! It’s incredible the difference after we installed our water filtration system throughout our house. Also knowing my kids are drinking the purest of water is the biggest game changer. I would absolutely recommend Vinny and staff."

Randi Demetriou 

"We had a recent installation done by Vinny at Simply PURE and we couldn’t be happier. Vinny is reputable, reliable, efficient and the service is great. The water is so clean and tastes great, we don’t have to think twice about what is coming out of our faucet! Thank you Vinny!

Mike D.