Boerne, the seat of Kendall County, sits in the Hill Country northwest of San Antonio along I-10. A home in or around town may get its water from a public water system or from a private well. Which one you are on decides how you find out what is in your water, and so which softener or filter makes sense.
Water Filtration San Antonio is an independent referral service, not an installer or plumber. When you send the form, your details go to an independent local water treatment pro who can contact you and quote the work.
On a public water system
If you pay a water bill, your supplier is named on it. Ask that supplier for its annual water quality report and use its hardness figure. The San Antonio Water System’s range of 15 to 20 grains per gallon, quoted elsewhere on this site, applies only to water SAWS provides, so do not borrow it for a Boerne home.
Hardness is graded on the US Geological Survey scale: soft up to 60 mg/L as calcium carbonate, moderately hard from 61 to 120, hard from 121 to 180, and very hard above 180. One grain per gallon is about 17 mg/L. A softener certified to NSF/ANSI 44 is the equipment that removes hardness.
On a private well
No utility report covers a private well, and the EPA is direct about who is responsible: “Private well owners are responsible for delivering safe drinking water to their households.” The EPA advises testing a private well every year for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH, and testing right away if conditions near the well change, such as flooding, land disturbance or new construction, or after any part of the well is replaced or repaired. The CDC adds: test more often if the water’s taste, color or smell changes, and use a state-certified laboratory.
Matching equipment to a well test
A well test can point to several different kinds of treatment, each with its own standard. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s advice is to decide what you want to remove first, then choose a unit certified by NSF, Underwriter’s Laboratory or the Water Quality Association for it.
| What the test or your eyes show | Equipment to ask about | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Hardness, scale, soap scum | Water softener | NSF/ANSI 44 |
| Chlorine taste or odor, on a public system | Carbon filter | NSF/ANSI 42 |
| Health-effect contaminants such as lead | Drinking water filter | NSF/ANSI 53 |
| Bacteria found in a well test | Ask about UV treatment after the well is inspected | NSF/ANSI 55 (Class A and Class B) |
Staining can also show up on well water. The EPA’s non-enforced secondary standards link iron above 0.3 mg/L with rusty color, metallic taste and reddish or orange staining, and manganese above 0.05 mg/L with black to brown color and black staining. If you see either, ask for a test that measures them.
In Boerne and want your water treated? Send the form with your ZIP code.
Request a quoteWho does the work
Two Texas licenses can be involved. Water treatment equipment falls under TCEQ’s Water Treatment Specialist rule: anyone who installs or services it under contract needs that license unless exempt, and plumbers licensed under Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1301 are exempt. Work on the well itself is separate: the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation says a license is required to drill a water well and to install a pump for one. Permit rules are set locally, so ask the installer which permit applies to your property in Boerne or Kendall County.
Before you ask for a quote
- Find out whether you are on a public system or a private well
- On a public system: get your supplier’s annual water quality report
- On a well: get a recent test from a certified laboratory
- Note what you see: scale, spots, staining, taste or smell
- Ask each installer which NSF/ANSI standard their equipment is certified to
Questions people ask
How hard is the water in Boerne?
This site does not publish a figure for Boerne. On a public system, ask your supplier for its annual water quality report; on a private well, have the water tested by a certified laboratory.
Do I need a water softener in Boerne?
It depends on your hardness figure. If it is in the hard or very hard band on the USGS scale and you see scale and soap scum, a softener certified to NSF/ANSI 44 is the equipment that removes it.
Should I test my well before buying a filter?
Yes. The EPA advises yearly testing of private wells, and equipment should be chosen for what the test finds.
