The Charlotte, North Carolina area has .75 to 1.5 parts per million of chlorine in its water and outlying areas have up to 3.5 ppm of chloramine, a derivitive of ammonia. It’s almost like drinking pool water, says Paul Stefano, general manager of the Charlotte Benjamin Franklin Plumbing franchise. These chemicals severely damage plumbing fixtures and water-using appliances.
“There’s a real need for filtration systems around here,” the 15-year industry veteran explains. “The chlorine in the water is an oxidizer and breaks down plastic and rubber components in faucets and water heaters. People spend a lot of money on plumbing repairs. We were selling a little water filtration equipment, but saw the revenue we were missing out on.”