Water Softeners for Bore Water in NZ
Stop limescale, orange stains and metallic taste at the source with an Ecosoft or Kinetico softener, designed around your water test.
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Water softeners designed around your water test
Hard bore water furs up pipes, taps and hot water cylinders. Iron and manganese stain basins, toilets and laundry orange and black, and make the water taste metallic. A water softener treats all the water coming into the house, so every tap, shower and appliance gets the benefit.
Aqua Works installs Ecosoft and Kinetico water softeners with ECOMIX® resin for bore water homes across Warkworth, Rodney and North Auckland. ECOMIX® removes calcium and magnesium hardness, iron and manganese in a single tank.
We never specify a softener without a comprehensive water test. The system has to match your water chemistry, otherwise it won’t work.
Start with a comprehensive water test.
Why choose a water softener?
In our area, hard water is a bore water problem. Rainwater is naturally soft, but bore water picks up calcium and magnesium from the ground. It leaves white scale on taps, showers and jugs, and builds up inside pipes and hot water cylinders. Many local bores also carry iron and manganese, which cause staining and a metallic taste. Read more about hard water and iron and manganese in water.
These problems don’t go away on their own, and staining and taste are a bigger deal than most people expect. A softener deals with them at the source, before the water reaches your taps.
How a water softener works
Water flows through a tank of resin beads. The beads hold on to calcium, magnesium, iron and manganese and release a little sodium in their place. When the resin is full, the softener regenerates: salty water (brine) from the salt tank rinses the resin, the minerals go to drain, and the resin is ready to start again.
Ecosoft or Kinetico?
We install both, with ECOMIX® resin. Ecosoft softeners use a small amount of power to run the control valve. Kinetico softeners are driven by the flow of water, so they don’t need power at all. We’ll recommend the one that suits your water, your site and your household. We also service most makes and models of water softener, including Autotrol, which we can supply too.
Key Benefits of a Water Softener
No more scale: protects pipes, taps, showers and hot water cylinders.
No more stains: removes iron and manganese with ECOMIX® resin.
Better taste: no metallic taste in your water, tea or coffee.
Longer appliance life: less scale in cylinders, dishwashers and washing machines.
Less soap: soft water lathers easily, so you use less.
Whole-house treatment: every tap, shower and appliance.
Protects your UV filter: keeps scale and iron off the quartz sleeve.
Soft, stain-free water from every tap, designed around your water test.
Local Jobs – Local Trust – Local Experts
Kinetico softener with ECOMIX® resin near the Kaipara Harbour
This customer’s bore water had a lot of iron. We tested the water, designed a new system and replaced everything on site.
Before: the old system, stained orange by iron.
The problem: iron clogging the old filter screen.
After: a Kinetico water softener with ECOMIX® resin. It runs without power.
More of our softener work
Ecosoft softener: with ECOMIX® resin, in a weatherproof box, softening bore water before it tops up the house water tank.
Autotrol softener: a large unit softening bore water ahead of a commercial reverse osmosis system for accommodation villas.
Softener service: our team replacing worn-out resin in a large softener.
How we put in your water softener
A softener has to match your water chemistry, or it won’t work. Every job follows the same four steps.
1
Test your water
Every softener starts with a comprehensive lab test through Hill Laboratories in Hamilton.
In our area, hardness often comes with iron, manganese and silica, so we need the full water chemistry first.
2
Plan and design
We prepare a detailed site plan and system design, sized to your water chemistry and how much water your household uses.
We agree it with you before any work starts.
3
Install and commission
Our plumbers install the softener, set it up for your water and test the water again to check the result.
4
Service and retest
We keep a record of your system, remind you when it’s due for a service and retest your water when needed.
Professional installation
Our plumbers install water softeners for bore water homes across Warkworth, Rodney and North Auckland. Every system is designed for your site, not picked off the shelf.
- Sized to your water test, household and water use.
- Fitted to work with your existing pump, filters and UV system.
- Regeneration water piped to a suitable drain or stormwater outlet.
- Commissioned and tested before we leave.
Ongoing service & support
Our job doesn’t end at installation. Aqua Works looks after your softener so it keeps doing its job.
- Regular servicing and water retests. We service most makes and models of water softener.
- We show you how to check and top up the salt.
- Service reminders, so you don’t have to remember.
- Fast local response: based in Warkworth, we cover Rodney and North Auckland.
Water softener FAQs
How does a water softener work?
Hard water flows through a tank of resin beads. The beads swap calcium and magnesium (and, with ECOMIX® resin, iron and manganese) for a small amount of sodium. When the resin is full, the softener rinses it with salty water from the salt tank and sends the minerals to drain. Then it starts again.
Do I need a water softener?
If you’re on bore water and you see white scale on taps, shower glass and jugs, or orange or black stains, you may need one. Rainwater is naturally soft, so roof water in a tank doesn’t need softening.
A comprehensive water test tells us for sure. As a guide, the Taumata Arowai aesthetic value for hardness is 200 mg/L (as calcium carbonate), and 0.3 mg/L for iron.
Can a water softener remove iron and manganese?
Yes. A softener with ECOMIX® resin removes iron and manganese as well as hardness. Ecosoft rates ECOMIX® for up to 15 mg/L of iron and 3 mg/L of manganese. If your levels are higher, we design extra treatment before the softener. If they’re low and the water suits it, ozone tank water treatment may be the better fit. Read more about iron and manganese in water.
Is softened water safe to drink?
Yes. A softener adds a small amount of sodium as it removes hardness, but it doesn’t make the water salty. Your water test tells us how much sodium it will add. If you’re on a low-sodium diet or making baby formula, talk to us about adding a reverse osmosis system for your drinking water.
Does a water softener need power?
Ecosoft softeners use a small amount of power to run the control valve. Kinetico softeners run on the flow of water, so they don’t need power at all.
How often do I need to add salt?
Most homes top up the salt about once a month, but it depends on how hard your water is and how much water you use. Use water treatment salt or swimming pool salt. We’ll show you how to check the level and top it up.
Where does the regeneration water go?
Each time the softener regenerates, it sends salty rinse water and the removed minerals to drain. We pipe it to a suitable drain or stormwater outlet, planned as part of the site design.
Will my garden taps get softened water?
It depends on the site. Sometimes we can plumb the outside taps separately, so the garden gets unsoftened water. When we add a softener to an existing home, the pipework is often already in place and that isn’t possible. We’ll talk it through at the site visit.
Do you service other brands of water softener?
Yes. We service most makes and models of water softener, including Ecosoft, Kinetico and Autotrol. If your softener isn’t working as it should, we’ll check it, retest your water and tell you whether it needs a service, new resin or a replacement.
Will a water softener remove silica?
No. A softener removes hardness, iron and manganese, but not silica. Silica is common in local bore water too, which is one reason we test before we design anything.
Do I still need a UV filter?
If your water needs disinfection, yes. A softener doesn’t kill bacteria. It does protect your UV water filter by keeping scale and iron off the quartz sleeve, so the UV light can do its job.
How much does a water softener cost?
Every softener is sized to your water test, household and plumbing, so the price depends on your site. We quote once we have your water test and have seen your setup. Call us on 0800 278 296 to talk it through.
Don’t just take our word for it…
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“Thank you, Rich, from Aqua Works, Having never lived on tank water, Rich was informative about our system and how it works. We intend to use you in the future.”
H. R. Fairclough, 2024
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“Great company, great products and fantastic service. Installed my water filter system about 5 years ago which has been entirely trouble free. Annual services done efficiently upon request. Can’t speak highly enough of them. Very friendly team with excellent communication.“
David Burton, 2024
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Excellent on-going service. Would highly recommend these guys to fix any water issues. Loving the taste of my water.“
Tony Cohen, November 2025
Ready for soft, stain-free water?
Start with a comprehensive water test, and we’ll design a softener that matches your water.