The Water Shop offers service that’s out of sight, out of mind

KALONA — The Millers deal in a business that most members of modern civilization take for granted: the promise that when they turn on the tap, they’ll get clean, drinkable water.

In general, homes have systems in place to ensure their water is potable. City residents enjoy municipal plants that treat it for bacteria and other health hazards. Rural homeowners with wells typically have on-site systems for the same purpose.

Still, the water quality can vary widely from one property to another. And while tap water generally is treated for any threats to a user’s health, it’s not necessarily treated for the health of their homes or appliances. Calcium and metals picked up before the flow reaches a faucet can contaminate a home’s water, leaving buildups of residue, or a foul smell in the air.

For those homes, a water treatment system can be life-changing. That’s where the Millers’ business — The Water Shop — comes in.

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“We’ve had people blatantly say they were ready to list the house, burn the house down, whatever, start over, because of the water quality,” said Brad Miller, business partner and son of The Water Shop Owner Bud Miller. “They’ve said, ‘I’ve fallen back in love with my house again, we’re going to stick around.’”

With the right water softener and treatment system, the family of technicians said homeowners could go back to not thinking about their water supply, with all the relevant user-end treatment systems tucked out of the way, and out of mind.

“Water is something you use every day,” Brad Miller said. “When you realize there’s issues, or smells, or things in the water, it’s going to stick out to you. And when people want to perfect that and make it better, that’s what we’re here to help.”

With headquarters north of Kalona, The Water Shop celebrated its 31st year of business this year, although owner Bud Miller has 45 years of experience under his belt from previous employers.

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What started as a one-man operation has grown over the decades, now with 26 employees on the roster, taking jobs across Southeast Iowa. The Water Shop also recently acquired Water Conditioning Systems, a similar business that was based in Coralville, and it plans to open a new location in North Liberty in the near future.

Bud Miller said he found the work rewarding.

“Installing equipment and seeing tangible businesses, because of what the equipment would do for the homeowner … when you can put in a piece of equipment to improvement, those are just things you like to see a homeowner be satisfied with,” he said.

The Millers say much of their work comes from replacements for ill-fitting water treatment systems. The Water Shop sells Kinetico and Hellenbrand systems, which they say come with a longer lifespan and higher quality parts than generic systems sold in what they call “store specials.”

And with specialized technicians to help install the high-quality systems, the business has earned a reputation for outperforming bulk-sale competition.

“It’s not a one-size fits all industry, homes are going to be different, the usage of a family of two versus a family of seven, that’s going to be a different dynamic,” said Torey Miller, another business partner and son of Bud Miller. “And you wouldn’t put the same softener in for a family in Washington as you would for Coralville, because the water hardness there is much different … even though the usage might be the same at both places.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com