A water conditioning system that both softens and improves the smell of water by removing dissolved ferrous iron and hydrogen sulfide from the water includes: a water softening tank, a cation exchange media situated in the water softening tank, a brine tank, a programmable control valve which regulates flow through the system and the periodic rejuvenation of the cation exchange media using flow from the brine tank, a valve that assists in providing a flow of aerated, pressurized water to the system, and an adapter with a bottom portion and a flow control valve that control the volume of the gaseous pocket that is created in the top portion of the water softening tank.