From all the kind neighbors that have replied here, my actions are as follows: 1) I will have a 3 filter Nova system installed when they can work me into their schedule. If needed, at sometime in the future, I may look into 2) installing a water softener, but that will be years down the road.
THANK YOU ALL - this is a great forum for sharing knowledge and experiences that saves both time and money (not to mention frustration).
