Kind Water Co installs water softeners and reverse osmosis drinking water systems in Clinton, Iowa — a river town with officially very hard water. Iowa American Water's 2017 Clinton report put hardness at 15.2 grains per gallon on average, with samples to 18.3. We're family-owned, Marion-based, and every install is handled by licensed local plumbers.
| Quick fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Utility | Iowa American Water — Clinton District (PWSID IA2326048) |
| Water source | Seven deep wells in four well fields, averaging 2,200 feet deep, drawing from the Cambrian-Ordovician and Jordan aquifers (per the Clinton water quality report) |
| Softened at the plant? | No — treatment is chlorine, fluoride, and a phosphate compound for naturally occurring iron and corrosion control |
| One distinguishing fact | Hardness on record: 260 mg/L (15.2 gpg) average leaving the treatment facility, range 237–313 mg/L (13.8–18.3 gpg) — Iowa American Water's 2017 Clinton report, 2016 sampling |
Clinton's drinking water starts a very long way down. Per Iowa American Water's Clinton water quality report, the city is supplied by seven deep wells spread across four well fields, averaging 2,200 feet in depth — better than a third of a mile — and drawing from the Cambrian-Ordovician and Jordan aquifers. The report credits that depth, and the confining rock above the aquifers, for the supply's excellent protection. But water that deep has also spent ages soaking in ancient mineral rock, and it brings those minerals up with it.
The figures on record come from the utility's 2017 Clinton report, covering 2016 sampling: 260 mg/L of hardness as calcium carbonate on average — 15.2 grains per gallon — with a measured range of 237 to 313 mg/L (13.8 to 18.3 gpg) on water leaving the treatment facility. For context, the USGS classifies anything above 180 mg/L as "very hard," the top of the scale, and Clinton clears that bar by a wide margin. It's also far harder than what reaches the tap in Iowa cities that soften at the plant — Cedar Rapids finishes around 6.5 to 7 gpg and Iowa City around 3 — because Clinton's water isn't softened before it reaches your house. You can see how it stacks up against other cities in our Iowa water hardness by city guide.
Iowa American Water treats Clinton's water with chlorine to assure microbiological quality, fluoride for teeth, and a phosphate compound that treats the small amount of iron occurring naturally in the well water and minimizes corrosion — but softening isn't part of the process, which is typical for Iowa utilities. The utility has invested where treatment was needed: per the Clinton report, in 2005, because of naturally occurring and rising background radium and iron levels, it spent about $5 million on a Hydrous Manganese Oxide treatment plant for Wells #10 and #11. In short, the plant handles treatment and stability, and hardness is the part left for each home to solve — or live with.
And "living with it" in Clinton looks familiar to anyone here: white crust on faucets and showerheads, cloudy spots on glasses, shower doors that never quite come clean, laundry that feels stiff, and water heaters quietly working harder than they should. None of that is a safety issue — it's a comfort, cost, and cleaning issue. It's also completely fixable.
Every price below is all-in: equipment, professional installation by a licensed local plumber, taxes, and our lifetime parts warranty included.
0% financing is available, and military members and first responders save $100.
Plenty of rural Clinton County homes — around Camanche, DeWitt, Goose Lake, and everywhere between — run on private wells, and a private well is the homeowner's to test. The Iowa DNR recommends testing your well every year, and through Iowa's Private Well Grants program that testing is free through your county lab — here's how free well water testing works in Iowa.
For treatment, our well water systems start with a dual-tank softener built for well conditions at $3,450 ($3,800 with a tank RO for drinking water). Iron and sulfur systems are quoted after your free water test, because the right equipment depends on what the test actually shows. UV disinfection adds $700 and sediment filtration $500.
We're a family-owned Iowa company, founded in 2021 by Ryan Brunton and based in Marion. Every installation is performed by licensed local plumbing professionals we vet, schedule, and stand behind — and every system carries our lifetime parts warranty, 5-year media warranty, and 1-year labor warranty. We're insured and bonded, we offer 0% financing, and our optional annual care plan is $199/year to keep your system dialed in.
The easy first step is a free in-home water test — we'll measure your actual hardness (your block may land anywhere in that 13.8–18.3 gpg band), check iron and chlorine, and give you a straight answer on what would help and what wouldn't. Call 319-319-6566, email ryan@kindwaterco.com, or grab an instant quote online.
Also serving nearby: Clinton sits on the river between two of our service areas — we also serve the Quad Cities to the south and Dubuque to the north, plus Camanche, DeWitt, and the rest of Clinton County.
Officially, very hard. Iowa American Water's 2017 Clinton report listed average hardness at 260 mg/L — 15.2 grains per gallon — with a range of 237 to 313 mg/L (13.8 to 18.3 gpg) on water leaving the treatment facility. The USGS classifies anything above 180 mg/L as "very hard," so Clinton sits well inside the top band.
No. Per the Clinton water quality report, treatment is chlorine to assure microbiological quality, fluoride, and a phosphate compound to treat the small amount of naturally occurring iron and minimize corrosion — softening isn't part of the process. That's typical for Iowa utilities, and it means hardness is something each household handles at home.
From seven deep wells in four well fields in the Clinton area, averaging 2,200 feet deep and drawing from the Cambrian-Ordovician and Jordan aquifers, per Iowa American Water's Clinton report. The report credits that depth and the confining rock above the aquifers for excellent source protection — and that same deep rock is why the water comes up hard.
Per Iowa American Water's Clinton report, in 2005, because of naturally occurring and rising background radium and iron levels, the utility invested about $5 million in a Hydrous Manganese Oxide treatment plant serving Wells #10 and #11. Current results are published each year in that report. To see what's in your own tap, start with our free in-home water test.
$2,500 installed — all-in, with taxes, professional installation by a licensed local plumber, and a lifetime parts warranty included. Add reverse osmosis drinking water for a combined $2,850, or step up to our XL system for larger homes at $2,800. 0% financing is available, and military members and first responders save $100.
Every number on this page comes from a public record. Here is where to open each one yourself.
Whole-home water softening, filtration, and reverse-osmosis drinking water — professionally installed and built to last a lifetime.
Serving Marion, Cedar Rapids & surrounding Linn County communities
Kind Water Co is a d/b/a of Zero Cap Investments LLC · 2258 Bison St, Apt B, Marion, IA 52302
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