Direct answer: Watts water softeners are made and sold by the water quality business of Watts Water Technologies, the valve and plumbing company its 2026 dealer catalog says was founded in 1874 and that lists North Andover, Massachusetts, on the back cover. The softener operating manual we reviewed says the systems are “Manufactured by Watts Water Quality & Conditioning Products, 13700 Highway 90 W., San Antonio, TX.” Watts sells softeners through dealers and its own branches, which “can take orders, quote prices, review inventory and check order status,” rather than publishing retail prices.
Publisher boundary: Water System Guide is an independent research publisher, not a Watts dealer or distributor. This page uses the Watts Water Quality dealer catalog C-WQ-Dealer 2604 (April 2026) and the Watts water conditioner operating manual with the WM100SM valve (FORM 0500-200, PDF created 2006), both hosted on watts.com and reviewed October 15, 2026. The manual is older than the catalog; where they differ we say which document a figure comes from.
The company behind the Watts name
The dealer catalog opens with a page about the company: “Since its founding in 1874, Watts has provided innovative solutions to improve comfort, safety, and quality of life for people around the world through our expertise in a wide range of water technologies.” It adds that Watts has “over 50 years of water treatment and conditioning experience” and focuses on “Commercial, Point-of-Use (POU) and Point-of-Entry (POE) water quality applications,” with a presence in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia (Watts dealer catalog, PDF page 3).
The catalog’s back cover gives a US phone number, (800) 659-8400, and the address “N. Andover, MA 01845” (dealer catalog, PDF page 116). Watts’ softeners are one product family within that water quality catalog, next to reverse osmosis, filtration and the OneFlow scale-prevention systems.
The operating manual names the softener business more specifically. Its back page says: “Manufactured by Watts Water Quality & Conditioning Products, 13700 Highway 90 W., San Antonio, TX, USA” with the form number 0500-200 and part number XOSW100SM (WM100SM manual, PDF page 28). That is the manufacturer statement we can cite for the WM100SM-valve softeners. The catalog’s dual-media softener page adds that the M3011-W100SM-CR-CMP is “assembled and tested in USA” (dealer catalog, PDF page 18).
Which valves Watts softeners use
Watts sells several residential softener families, and each is defined by its control valve. The 2026 catalog groups them like this:
| Family | Valve named in the catalog | Example models | Catalog page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water softeners with W100 valves | W100 metered valve | M3011-CK10SM, M3013-CK10SM, M3015-CK10SM | PDF page 20 |
| Dual-media softener | W100 valve; spec table says “CK-10 metered valve” | M3011-W100SM-CR-CMP | PDF page 18 |
| Locksmith simplex | Locksmith CLS-100 and CLS-125, “Watts Exclusive Valve Controller” | M3011-L10SM to M3017-L10SM; M4032B-L125 to M4046B-L125 | PDF page 19 |
| Locksmith twin alternating | Locksmith CLSTA-100 | M2058-L10T to M2072-L10T | PDF page 21 |
| W100T twin alternating | W100T metered | M2058-W100T to M2072-W100T | PDF page 22 |
The W100 valve in the operating manual is called the WM100SM. Its parts list uses order numbers such as KC12V3005 for the spacer stack and KC12V3002 for the drive assembly, and one footnote refers to the drive assembly as “part V3002” (WM100SM manual, PDF page 18). Those V3000-series numbers follow the numbering used by a widely sold residential valve platform. Watts’ documents do not name a valve supplier, so we do not either; for parts, use the Watts order numbers.
The Locksmith line is described as softeners “with Watts Exclusive Valve Controller” with a “glass fiber reinforced composite control valve,” “fully automatic metered demand control,” and “high-capacity A4000 resin certified for lead-free compliance” (dealer catalog, PDF page 19).
Our Watts water softener models comparison sets these families side by side.
OneFlow is Watts, but not a softener
Many Watts searches are really about OneFlow, Watts’ salt-free scale-prevention system. OneFlow does not remove hardness, so it is outside this softener cluster. The Watts brand research page covers the difference, and the Watts not-softening guide starts by identifying which kind of Watts system you have.
How Watts softeners are sold
The catalog is written for dealers. Its company page says: “Full service branches are located throughout North America to provide fast delivery of products. All branch locations can take orders, quote prices, review inventory and check order status,” and asks readers to “contact your local Watts representative to learn more about our product line and support services for water quality dealers” (dealer catalog, PDF page 3).
The model tables give ordering codes (for example 68105249 for the M3011-CK10SM) but no prices. The catalog’s terms also describe returns in dealer terms: goods returned under warranty must be shipped prepaid, “no ‘collect’ shipments will be accepted,” and “merchandise older than three (3) months from purchased date, may not be returned (non warranty related)” (dealer catalog, PDF page 8).
For a homeowner, that means the installer or dealer is usually the point of contact for the product, the price and the warranty claim. See our Watts water softener cost guide for what a quote should include.
The warranty, and who stands behind it
The WM100SM manual prints a residential limited warranty: “a five (5) year warranty on Fiberglass resin tanks; 5 year warranty on salt tank and control valve; 1 year warranty on component materials and workmanship.” It continues: “Labor is not included. Warranty is limited to repair or replacement of defective part (manufacturer’s choice). Freight and shipping are not covered by this warranty,” and a “Return Goods Authorization (RGA)” is required (WM100SM manual, PDF page 2).
Two limits matter for buyers:
- Start date. The warranty period “begins on the installation date, but shall not begin later than six (6) months from the date of manufacture.” A unit that sat in a warehouse can start its warranty before it is installed.
- Water quality. “Water softener resins subjected to iron, manganese, and chlorine levels greater than 1 ppm are expressly not covered by the 5 year warranty.”
The warranty block also has blanks for “Distributed by,” date, model and serial number, which confirms the distributor’s role in the sale. The 2026 catalog’s own terms say the seller “shall provide its then-current standard written warranty,” so ask for the current warranty document with your quote rather than relying on the 2006 manual.
How to identify a Watts softener
- Model number. Look for a label starting M30, M40 or M20. The catalog uses “-CK10SM” or “-W100SM” for W100-valve units, “-L10SM” or “-L125” for Locksmith simplex, and “-L10T” or “-W100T” for twins.
- Valve buttons. The WM100SM manual describes NEXT, REGEN, SET CLOCK and up/down buttons, with Diagnostics and Valve History menus (WM100SM manual, PDF page 10).
- Tank sizes. The 30,000-grain CK10SM uses a 9 x 48 mineral tank and 18 x 36 brine tank; the 45,000-grain unit 10 x 54; the 60,000-grain unit 12 x 52 (dealer catalog, PDF page 20).
Model pages for the M3011-CK10SM, M3013-CK10SM, M3015-CK10SM and M3011-W100SM-CR-CMP list the published specifications.
Questions to ask a Watts dealer
- Which catalog family is this (W100, dual-media, Locksmith or twin), and what is the full model number and ordering code?
- What capacity and salt setting will you program? The catalog lists maximum capacity; the manual shows lower capacities at lower salt doses.
- Has my water been tested for iron, manganese and chlorine? The manual’s 5-year resin coverage excludes levels above 1 ppm.
- Will you register the installation date? The manual’s warranty starts at installation but no later than six months after manufacture.
- Who handles a warranty claim and the Return Goods Authorization, and what do you charge for labor and freight, which the warranty excludes?
What we could not verify
- Plant by model. The manual names San Antonio for the WM100SM softeners and the catalog says the dual-media unit is assembled and tested in the USA. We found no statement for the Locksmith or twin lines.
- Valve supplier. The parts numbering suggests a common valve platform, but Watts does not name a supplier.
- Current warranty. The warranty we quote is in a manual whose PDF was created in 2006. Watts’ current softener warranty may differ.
For replacement parts by order number, see the Watts water softener parts guide.
Frequently asked questions
Who makes Watts water softeners?
Watts Water Technologies’ water quality business. The softener operating manual says the systems are manufactured by Watts Water Quality & Conditioning Products in San Antonio, Texas, and the 2026 dealer catalog says Watts was founded in 1874.
Can I buy a Watts water softener directly from Watts?
The catalog is written for dealers. It says Watts branches can take orders and quote prices, and it directs readers to a local Watts representative. Most homeowners buy through a dealer or installer.
Is Watts OneFlow a water softener?
No. OneFlow is Watts’ salt-free scale-prevention system and does not remove hardness. Watts’ softeners are the W100-valve, dual-media, Locksmith and twin-alternating systems in the catalog.
What warranty comes with a Watts softener?
The WM100SM manual lists 5 years on fiberglass resin tanks, 5 years on the salt tank and control valve, and 1 year on component materials and workmanship. Labor, freight and shipping are not included. Ask for the current warranty with your quote.