SOS Plumbing urges Lonoke County homeowners to test water before buying filtration or tankless systems

SOS Plumbing says more than 100 in-home water tests in Central Arkansas show homeowners should compare utility reports with tap-level testing before choosing filtration, softening or a new water heater. The Ward-based company is pointing Cabot, Ward and Austin residents to local water quality data, NSF-certified products and tankless heater sizing as practical decision tools.

Why it matters: - Homeowners can spend money on the wrong fix if they buy filtration, softening or a water heater before knowing what is actually in their tap water. - Utility reports and in-home testing help separate taste, odor, scale and staining issues from health-related concerns such as lead. - Water quality also affects water heater performance, especially in hard-water areas where scale can shorten equipment life.

What happened: - SOS Plumbing, a licensed residential and commercial plumbing company based in Ward, Arkansas, says it has completed more than 100 in-home water tests in Central Arkansas. - The company is urging homeowners in Cabot, Ward, Austin and nearby Lonoke County communities to review their water before deciding on filtration or a water heater replacement. - SOS Plumbing installs and services water softeners, whole-home water treatment equipment, tank water heaters and tankless water heaters. - The company also offers in-home water testing.

The details: - Utility annual drinking water reports describe water leaving the treatment plant and moving through the distribution system. - In-home testing measures water at the faucet after it passes through a home’s service line, pipes, fixtures and any existing treatment equipment. - The public water systems serving Cabot, Ward and Austin meet federal drinking water standards, according to their most recent published reports. - Those reports show the local supply is often blended, disinfected with chlorine and exposed to materials from household plumbing that utilities do not control. - Ward Utilities’ 2025 report says the city pumps from three wells in the Alluvial Aquifer and also buys water from the Lonoke-White Public Water Authority, which treats surface water from Greers Ferry Lake. - Cabot Water Works’ 2023 report lists six Alluvial Aquifer wells and purchased water from Central Arkansas Water, which draws from Lake Winona and Lake Maumelle. - Austin Water Works’ 2025 report says treated water is purchased from Mid-Arkansas Utilities and the Lonoke-White Public Water Authority, with Central Arkansas Water and Jacksonville Water Works also in the supply chain. - U.S. Geological Survey research describes alluvial aquifer groundwater in the region as generally hard to very hard and often high in iron. - Hardness minerals create scale on fixtures, inside pipes and inside water heaters. - Iron can stain sinks, tubs and laundry. - Cabot Water Works reported a highest locational running annual average of 64 ppb for total trihalomethanes in 2023, with individual results ranging from 2.72 to 77.9 ppb. - Ward Utilities reported a highest running annual average of 40 ppb for total trihalomethanes in 2025, with results ranging from 13.1 to 63.8 ppb. - Both total trihalomethane results were below the federal limit of 80 ppb. - Cabot’s report lists a highest locational running annual average of 12 ppb for haloacetic acids, below the enforceable limit of 60 ppb. - Cabot’s report also notes the non-enforceable public health goal for haloacetic acids is zero. - Cabot Water Works reported an average chlorine residual of 1.09 parts per million in 2023. - Ward Utilities reported an average chlorine residual of 0.78 parts per million in 2025. - Both chlorine residuals were below the maximum residual disinfectant level of 4 parts per million. - Cabot reported nitrate at an average of 0.515 parts per million, and Ward reported 0.13 parts per million, against a federal limit of 10 parts per million. - Cabot reported copper at a 90th-percentile level of 0.246 parts per million, and Ward reported 0.070 parts per million, against an action level of 1.3 parts per million. - Both utilities reported 90th-percentile lead results below 0.001 parts per million at customer taps, below the federal action level of 0.015 parts per million. - The reports say lead usually comes from service lines and home plumbing components, not from the treatment plant. - The utility reports recommend running water for 30 seconds to two minutes before using it for drinking or cooking after it has been sitting in pipes for several hours. - Boiling water does not remove lead. - Homeowners who want lead reduction at the tap should look for a filter certified for lead reduction. - Private well owners are not covered by these utility reports and are responsible for their own testing and treatment decisions. - Filters certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 42 reduce aesthetic issues such as chlorine taste and odor. - NSF/ANSI Standard 53 covers reduction of contaminants such as lead and certain volatile organic chemicals. - NSF/ANSI Standard 58 applies to reverse osmosis systems. - NSF/ANSI Standard 44 applies to residential water softeners. - Certification applies only to the contaminants listed for a specific model. - Filters need scheduled cartridge replacement. - Whole-house sediment filters are commonly used for particles and iron. - Point-of-use filters at a kitchen sink focus on drinking and cooking water. - Reverse osmosis systems provide the broadest treatment at a single tap. - Water softeners address hardness minerals rather than chemical contaminants. - The company recommends testing before buying equipment because the wrong system can leave the original problem unsolved. - SOS Plumbing says it provides water softener and water treatment installation for homes and businesses, including equipment sizing and tie-ins to existing supply lines. - Hardness minerals deposit scale inside water heaters and can reduce efficiency and shorten equipment life. - Tankless water heaters heat water on demand instead of keeping a storage tank hot all day. - The U.S. Department of Energy says homes using 41 gallons or less of hot water per day can see demand water heaters perform 24% to 34% more efficiently than conventional storage tank models. - The Department of Energy says homes using about 86 gallons per day can see efficiency gains of 8% to 14%. - The Department of Energy says most tankless water heaters last more than 20 years and avoid standby heat losses. - Tankless performance depends on correct sizing because output limits how much hot water a unit can deliver at one time. - Gas-fired tankless models generally provide higher flow rates than electric models. - Fuel type, household demand, local building codes and venting requirements affect which unit is appropriate. - SOS Plumbing says it performs tankless water heater installation, repair and maintenance alongside conventional tank water heater service. - Homeowners should review their latest utility report, compare it with an in-home tap test and identify whether the concern is taste, scale or a specific contaminant before buying equipment. - Homeowners should also check which NSF/ANSI standard a product is certified to and how often filters or media need replacement. - For water heaters, homeowners should consider peak hot-water use and whether the home’s gas supply or electrical service can support a tankless unit. - The Arkansas Department of Health publishes Consumer Confidence Reports online by public water system number. - Cabot Water Works is system number 338, Ward Utilities is 345 and Austin Water Works is 346. - SOS Plumbing is based at 175 Gray Road in Ward, Arkansas, and is led by Brodie Stanley, a licensed and insured master plumber with more than 15 years of experience. - The company provides 24/7 emergency service and serves residential and commercial customers in Ward, Cabot, Jacksonville, Sherwood, North Little Rock, Lonoke and nearby Central Arkansas communities. - SOS Plumbing’s services include in-home water testing, water heater repair and replacement, water softener installation, leak detection, drain cleaning, sewer line repair, gas line work and commercial plumbing. - The company holds license number 6889. - More information is available on the company’s website.

Between the lines: - The core message is that municipal water can meet federal standards while still creating household problems that depend on plumbing age, mineral content and the specific tap being tested. - The reports also show that compliance data alone do not answer whether a home needs filtration, a softener or a heater upgrade. - The strongest case for testing comes from the mismatch between systemwide utility data and what a family actually experiences at the sink or shower.

What’s next: - Homeowners can start with the latest Consumer Confidence Report for their water system, then pair that information with an in-home water test. - Households with lead concerns should use a certified laboratory test and choose a lead-rated filter if needed. - Properties on private wells should test and treat water independently because utility reports do not cover them. - Households considering tankless water heaters should confirm sizing, fuel type and venting before installation.

The bottom line: - SOS Plumbing’s pitch is simple: test first, then buy the equipment that matches the actual problem.