Imperial Water Co.
Sugar Land, TX
Every glass you drink, every shower you take, every load of laundry — your water quality is either working for you or working against you. Here's what's actually in it.
PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — are a family of man-made chemicals used in non-stick cookware coatings, food packaging, and firefighting foam. What makes them dangerous isn't just what they do. It's what they don't do: break down.
PFAS accumulate in the body over time. They've been found in municipal water supplies across the country — including Texas. Long-term exposure is linked to certain cancers, thyroid disruption, immune suppression, and developmental issues in children. The EPA issued new federal limits in 2024 — but "within limits" doesn't mean safe, especially when you're drinking from the same tap every day for 20 years.
Primary Sources In Your Water
PFAS have been found in public water systems across the country. The EPA's 2024 limits are new — meaning many systems are still catching up and testing for the full spectrum of compounds.
Tiny plastic fragments under 5mm — many invisible to the naked eye. They come from the breakdown of plastic packaging, synthetic fabrics washing in your laundry, and industrial processes upstream of your water supply. Studies now detect them in tap water worldwide, including in the United States.
Research is still evolving, but microplastics carry chemical additives used in plastic manufacturing. They also adsorb other toxins and carry them into the body. They've now been found in human blood, lung tissue, and placentas. The science is not complete — but the consensus is that they do not belong in your drinking water.
Reverse osmosis is the most effective filtration method available for microplastics — capable of removing particles down to 0.0001 microns. A properly installed under-sink or whole-home RO system stops microplastics before they ever reach your glass or cooking water.
Chlorine kills bacteria in transit — but when it reacts with organic matter in your pipes, it creates a new problem: disinfection byproducts (DBPs).
The most common disinfection byproduct. Chloroform is a THM. Long-term exposure is linked to bladder cancer and kidney issues. The EPA sets legal limits — but those limits still allow some daily exposure over a lifetime of use.
Another chlorine byproduct, classified by the EPA as a possible human carcinogen. HAAs are present in virtually every chlorinated municipal water system in the country — including Fort Bend County utilities.
Many cities — including systems in the Houston metro — have switched from chlorine to chloramines. They're harder to remove than chlorine and create their own distinct set of byproducts. Standard carbon filters alone don't fully address chloramines.
Municipal treatment eliminates the pathogens. It doesn't eliminate everything the treatment process leaves behind — and it was never designed to address a century of chemical development.
Fort Bend County has some of the hardest water in the Houston metro. Here's what that means for everything in your home.
Scale buildup inside water heaters, dishwashers, and washing machines forces them to work harder and fail sooner. The average water heater loses 30–40% of its efficiency from mineral scale alone — meaning you're paying more to heat water every single month.
The Cost
Calcium deposits narrow your pipes gradually over years. Fixtures build up scale that's nearly impossible to fully clean. Once mineral deposits are inside your lines, you can't undo the buildup — you can only prevent more from forming.
The Cost
Hard water makes soap lather less effectively, leaving residue behind. Clothes come out stiff and colors fade faster. Skin feels dry. Hair looks dull. The switch to soft water fixes all of it — and most people notice the difference the very first day.
The Cost
RO pushes water through a semi-permeable membrane so fine it blocks virtually everything: PFAS, microplastics, heavy metals, nitrates, pharmaceuticals, bacteria, and viruses. A quality system removes up to 99% of dissolved contaminants — not in theory, but confirmed through membrane testing.
Pure RO water is clean — but stripped of everything, including beneficial minerals like magnesium and calcium. The final stage of a quality system reintroduces a balanced mineral profile. You get water that's both pure and great-tasting. You don't have to choose between the two.
Under-sink RO for your drinking and cooking water. Whole-home RO for full protection at every tap. We size the system to your household's actual usage and walk you through exactly what it removes — and what it adds back. No guesswork, no upsell you don't need.
RO is the only filtration method that addresses PFAS, microplastics, heavy metals, and chemical byproducts in a single integrated system. It's what we put in our own homes.
Enter your ZIP and get a personalized look at your local water quality — then we'll tell you exactly what we'd recommend for your home.