Water Treatment Near Me: South Jersey’s Local Water Experts Since 1991

A Clear Alternative is a family-owned South Jersey water treatment company serving Burlington, Camden, Atlantic, Gloucester, Salem, Cape May, Mercer, and Monmouth counties since 1991. For 35 years we have installed, serviced, and supplied water softeners, iron and sulfur filters, acid neutralizers, UV systems, and reverse osmosis drinking-water systems for homeowners, businesses, and municipalities across the region — plus limited areas of Pennsylvania, New York, and Delaware. Our technicians are NJ-licensed, our in-home water analysis is free, and our phone is answered 24/7 at 1-888-577-8088.

If you are searching for a water treatment company near you, the practical question is not which brand is on the tank. It is whether the person sizing your system actually knows what comes out of the ground in your township — and whether they will still pick up the phone in February when your well pump is pushing rust into your water heater.

Free in-home water test. Request yours below or call 1-888-577-8088 — answered 24/7.

What’s actually wrong with South Jersey water

South Jersey water problems are not random. They follow the geology. Most of the calls we take fall into six categories.

Iron and manganese. The sandy soils over the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer are naturally iron-rich. Dissolved iron is invisible at the tap and then oxidizes into orange rust on porcelain, laundry, and dishwasher parts. Manganese does the same thing in black or dark brown. Iron is a secondary, or nuisance, contaminant under NJDEP rules — it will not usually make you sick, but it will destroy fixtures and appliances. See our guide to orange stains from well water iron.

Acidic, low-pH water. Pinelands well water is frequently acidic, and we regularly measure pH in the 4.5 to 5.5 range in Burlington County. Acidic water leaches copper out of your own plumbing — that is what the blue-green staining is — and it slowly eats pinhole leaks into pipe.

Hardness. Calcium and magnesium leave white scale on faucets and glassware, film on skin and hair, and scale inside your water heater, where it quietly raises your energy bill.

Sulfur (hydrogen sulfide). The rotten-egg smell, worst on the hot side. It is a gas, so it will not filter out with a sediment cartridge. See iron and sulfur filtration.

Bacteria and nitrates. Private wells are not tested by anyone unless you test them. Coliform, E. coli, and nitrate problems are most common in shallow wells, wells near agriculture, and older well casings.

Sediment, turbidity, and emerging contaminants. Sand and silt from an aging well, plus the contaminants New Jersey now watches closely — PFAS, radium, arsenic, and VOCs.

City water customers are not exempt. Chlorine or chloramine taste and odor, hardness, main-break discoloration, and lead or copper from household plumbing all show up on municipal supplies too.

Water treatment services we provide

We handle residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal work — sales, service, and rentals.

  • Water softeners and water conditioners — for hardness, plus light iron reduction
  • Iron and manganese filters — oxidizing and catalytic media systems sized to your actual iron load
  • Sulfur / hydrogen sulfide removal — including ozone and chemical oxidation
  • Acid neutralizers — calcite and magnesia media or soda ash injection to raise low pH
  • Sediment and whole-house filtration — cartridge and backwashing systems
  • Ultraviolet (UV) sterilization — bacteria control without chemicals
  • Reverse osmosis (RO) — under-sink drinking-water systems and larger point-of-entry units
  • Deionization — for laboratory, industrial, and process water
  • Chemical injection — soda ash and chlorine feed systems
  • Ozone systems
  • Well water testing and city water testing — see water testing
  • Water conditioning salt and chemical supply — delivered or picked up
  • Service contracts — daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly water treatment service is available
  • 24/7 emergency service — no water, flooding softener, failed pump, failed feed system. See emergency services.

NJ State Licensed Operators — very small water systems through T-4. That license matters if you run a community well, a mobile home park, a campground, a church, a school, or a restaurant on its own supply. Most residential dealers in this market cannot legally operate those systems. We can.

Salt and chemical supplies

We stock and deliver the consumables your system needs, so you are not hunting bags at a big-box store:

  • Water conditioning sodium chloride (salt) — 40 lb, 50 lb, and 80 lb bags
  • Water conditioner potassium chloride (salt substitute, NSF approved) — 40 lb bags only
  • Soda ash light (NSF approved)
  • Caustic soda
  • Potassium permanganate
  • Chlorine 15% — 1-quart bottle, 1-gallon bottle, 5-gallon bucket, 55-gallon drum

Ask about standing salt delivery so you never run a softener dry.

What a free water test actually involves

Sizing water treatment equipment off a guess is how homeowners end up with a softener that cannot keep up. Our in-home analysis is free and takes about 30 to 45 minutes.

  1. We come to you. A technician tests at your fixtures, not from a mailed-in sample that has been sitting in a truck for three days.
  2. On-site testing. Hardness (grains per gallon), iron, manganese, pH, hydrogen sulfide, total dissolved solids, and visible sediment or turbidity.
  3. Certified lab work when it is warranted. Bacteria, nitrates, VOCs, arsenic, radium, and PFAS go to a certified laboratory.
  4. We look at the plumbing. Well depth and age, pressure tank, existing equipment, water heater condition, drain access, available space, and household peak demand.
  5. You get your numbers and your options in writing. Your actual readings, what each one causes, and a written recommendation — typically one good option, one better option, and what we would skip.

There is no charge and no obligation. If your water is fine, we will tell you your water is fine.

What water treatment costs in South Jersey

Every home is different, so we test first and quote second. Cost depends on your water test results, household size, flow rate, plumbing and drain access, and whether more than one problem needs treating. Every quote follows a free in-home water analysis, and we price the job before any work starts — in writing, with no pressure.

Rentals and service contracts are available if you would rather not buy outright, and financing is available. Ask us when we test.

Why local beats a national chain

When you compare water treatment companies near you, most of what you find is either a plumbing company that installs softeners on the side or a franchise of a national brand. Here is the honest difference.

  A Clear Alternative National chain / franchise
Who tests your water A local technician in your home, free Often a sales appointment first
Equipment choice Sized to your readings, from multiple manufacturers Whatever the franchise sells
Parts and media Standard, widely available Frequently proprietary
Salt and chemicals We stock and deliver them Usually a separate order
Emergency service 24/7, local trucks Call center, then a queue
Licensing NJ-licensed techs; licensed operators through T-4 Varies by franchise
Who you talk to in year 5 The same family business Whoever owns the franchise then

We have been doing this in the same eight counties since 1991. That is the whole pitch: we cannot leave town, so we have to be good.

Related reading: Culligan alternatives in South Jersey.

Every county we serve

We serve eight New Jersey counties, plus limited parts of Pennsylvania, New York, and Delaware. If your township is not listed, call 1-888-577-8088 — if we can drive there, we can serve you.

See the full list on our Areas Served page.

Why homeowners trust us

  • In business since 1991 — family-owned, 35 years in South Jersey
  • Eight New Jersey counties served, plus limited PA, NY, and DE
  • NJ-licensed technicians; NJ State Licensed Operators for very small water systems through T-4
  • Free in-home water analysis, no obligation
  • 24/7 emergency service at 1-888-577-8088
  • We stock our own salt and chemicals — NSF-approved potassium chloride and soda ash light included
  • Sales, service, and rentals — including full-service treatment contracts for commercial and municipal accounts
  • Residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal experience under one roof

Get your free water test

Complete the form below and click Send, or call 1-888-577-8088. We will tell you exactly what is in your water, what it is doing to your home, and what it costs to fix.

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Frequently asked questions

What does a water treatment company do?

A water treatment company tests your water, identifies exactly which contaminants are present and at what concentration, then designs, installs, and services equipment to remove them. A Clear Alternative handles softeners, iron and manganese filters, sulfur removal, acid neutralizers, sediment filtration, UV sterilization, and reverse osmosis for homes and businesses across eight South Jersey counties.

Is the water test really free?

Yes. Our in-home water analysis is free, with no lab fee and no obligation to buy. A technician tests at your fixtures, reviews your plumbing and existing equipment, and gives you your readings in writing.

Which counties do you serve?

Burlington, Camden, Atlantic, Gloucester, Salem, Cape May, Mercer, and Monmouth counties in New Jersey, plus limited parts of Pennsylvania, New York, and Delaware. Call 1-888-577-8088 to confirm coverage for your address.

Do I need a water softener or an iron filter?

It depends on your numbers. Softeners handle hardness and can manage light dissolved iron. Once iron runs higher, or if it is already oxidized, or if iron bacteria are present, you need a dedicated iron filter, because putting that load on a softener fouls the resin bed and shortens its life. A free water test tells you which one you actually need, and many South Jersey wells need both.

Why is my well water orange or rust-colored?

Dissolved iron in your well water oxidizes when it meets air, turning orange and staining toilets, tubs, sinks, and laundry. It is very common in South Jersey wells drawing from the iron-rich sands of the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer. An iron filter, sized to your measured iron level, removes it at the point of entry.

How much does water treatment cost in South Jersey?

Cost depends on your water test results, household size, flow rate, and plumbing and drain access. Every quote follows a free in-home water analysis, and we price the job before any work starts. Rentals, service contracts, and financing are available.

How often should I test my well water?

Test private well water at least once a year for bacteria, nitrates, and the basics, and any time the taste, smell, color, or clarity changes, after work is done on the well, or before buying or selling a home. New Jersey’s Private Well Testing Act requires testing at the time of most home sales and for many rentals.

Do you service equipment you didn’t install?

Yes. We service and repair most brands of softeners, filters, reverse osmosis systems, and chemical feed equipment, and we stock the salt, soda ash, caustic soda, potassium permanganate, and 15% chlorine those systems consume.

Do you offer emergency water treatment service?

Yes, 24/7. If a softener is flooding, a chemical feed pump has failed, or you have lost water, call 1-888-577-8088.

Ready for water you don’t have to think about

A Clear Alternative
9230 Collins Ave, Pennsauken, NJ 08110
Call or text 1-888-577-8088 — answered 24/7
Serving Burlington, Camden, Atlantic, Gloucester, Salem, Cape May, Mercer, and Monmouth counties, NJ, plus limited parts of PA, NY, and DE. In business since 1991.

Related pages: Water Testing · Emergency Services · Dispensing Tanks · Bulk Water Delivery · Areas Served