| AQUA CLEARA Planet Friendly Water |
What You Need to Know about Water Softeners
Corrosion - If your water softener uses salt or potassium, your galvanized steel pipes are suffering. Ask
homeowners who have used water softeners for many years and are experiencing burst pipes and slab
leaks, salt and potassium are corrosive. Over a period of time water treated with salt and potassium
based softeners will corrode iron pipes or exposed steel surfaces, reducing the life of your pipes. Many
people with galvanized pipes find that salt softened water does prevent scale build-up, but the trade-off is
the salt also corrodes their pipes. Not only your pipes will suffer, appliances definitely take a beating
from water high in salt. You may see no scale buildup, and you probably won’t see the salt corrosion
either, until your appliance needs to be replaced—prematurely.
Lead - Water softeners also increase the possibility that lead will leach from pipes and fittings into your
water. Even if you have new pipes, did you know that brass fittings can, by law, contain as much as 8%
lead by weight? So even if your pipes are new, you could still be getting lead from your fixtures and from
lead solder. The use of lead solder with copper pipes is still widespread. Experts consider this lead
solder as the major cause of lead contamination of household water in U.S. homes today.
Environment – There are many municipalities across the country that have begun to address the fact that
high levels of sodium AND high levels of chloride adversely affect the environment. Don’t be part of the
problem…We have the Solution!
Paso Robles City Website as of 2/28/06 CLICK HERE
WATER SOFTENERS ISSUES
There is more to water softeners than just soft water. Water softeners reduce the “hardness” of the
water, which can have several benefits for consumers: smaller amounts of soap and detergents (non-
synthetic) are necessary for laundry and cleaning processes; reduced staining, spotting, scaling; bathing
and showering feelings; increased fabric life; and energy saving in water heating due to less scaling.
How does a water softener work?
A typical water softener softens water by ion exchange, which involves the exchange of the hardness
minerals, chiefly calcium and magnesium, for sodium or potassium minerals.
The exchange takes place by passing water containing hardness minerals over ion exchange resins in a
tank. As the calcium and magnesium contact the resin in their travel through the resin tank, they
displace sodium or potassium ions. The displaced sodium or potassium ions pass downward through
the resin “bed” and out the softener drain; thus, the softener delivers “soft” water.
The Problem
The discharge of salt brines from the regeneration of water softeners into the wastewater collection
system has a negative impact on recycled water and wastewater effluent. Higher salinity increases the
treatment costs and reduces the potential for reuse of wastewater for non-potable irrigation and
industrial purposes. It can also impairs a wastewater treatment agency’s ability to comply with
discharge standards for total dissolved solids (TDS) which is a measure of the total concentration of
dissolved minerals in water, including concentrations such as sodium, calcium, magnesium, and
potassium, and anions such as chloride, sulfate, and many others.
A typical wastewater treatment facility removes very little of these mineral concentrations from the
waste stream and are passed on to the environment.
Sodium really has no redeeming value in the environment outside of saltwater or brackish water
ecosystems. It has been declared as the biggest contaminate affecting water supplies in California, the
nation and the world. Water with salinity levels above 1,000 mg/l is of questionable use for irrigation and
industrial customers. As salinity increases, laundry detergents work less efficiently, plumbing fixtures
and home appliances wear out faster and industry incurs higher treatment costs for boilers, cooling
towers and manufacturing processes, and farmers experience reduced crop yields.
City of Santa Clarita website as of 3/13/06 CLICK HERE
Chloride, Water Softeners, and Residents
What is chloride?
Chloride is one of the two components of sodium chloride, also known as table salt or rock salt. It is also
one of the two components of potassium chloride, also known as potassium tablets or potassium
crystals.
Why is chloride bad for water?
Too much chloride in the water can damage agricultural crops by causing leaf burn or drying of leaf
tissue, thereby reduce crop yields. It also can harm aquatic life.
Why is it necessary to reduce chloride levels in the Santa Clara River?
The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Board) has set a water quality limit of
100 milligrams per liter (parts per million) for the Santa Clara River . Regional Board officials believe that
this limit is necessary to protect downstream farmers growing sensitive agricultural crops, such as
avocados and strawberries, that use river water for irrigation. In addition, the Santa Clara River is home
to a number of endangered species, including steelhead trout, the Santa Ana sucker, the unarmored
three-spine stickleback fish, and the Southwestern Arroyo toad. Currently the concentration of chloride
being discharged to the river is twice the acceptable level established by the state.
How does chloride end up in the Santa Clara River?
In Santa Clarita, after we use water for washing dishes, showering, laundering, flushing toilets, and other
uses, the “wastewater” that’s left goes to the sewer. From there it flows to either the Saugus Water
Reclamation Plant or the Valencia Water Reclamation Plant for treatment. These treatment plants are
owned and operated by the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County , and they put water into the Santa
Clara River after it has been treated. While the treatment plants remove many impurities and polluting
substances from wastewater, they are not designed to remove chloride. The chloride in wastewater
goes through the treatment plants to the Santa Clara River .
I always thought that most of the chloride in the Santa Clara River comes from industrial, rather than
residential, use. Isn’t that true?
No. Most of the chloride in the Santa Clara River comes from residences, both from on-site regeneration
of automatic water softeners and from chloride that already exists in the drinking water from your tap –
these are the biggest sources. Small amounts of chloride also come from soaps, detergents and other
cleaning products, particularly laundry products.
The discharge of chloride from industrial and commercial businesses is regulated by the Sanitation
Districts, and Santa Clarita businesses have been prevented from using automatic water softeners since
1961.
How can I help reduce the amount of chloride going to the Santa Clara River?
If you have an automatic water softener, also known as a self-regenerating water softener or rock salt
softener, the most important thing you can do is to stop discharging the salty waste (called brine) from it
into the sewer system. Unplug it today and explore alternatives to your automatic water softener.
Other steps you can take are to use non-chlorine bleach instead of chlorine bleach and to minimize the
amount of laundry detergents and fabric softeners that you use, since many of these products contain
chloride. You can find environmentally sound detergents and cleaners at most grocery stores.
How do I know if I have an automatic water softener?
If you add salt or potassium to your water softener or have a water conditioning service do so, then you
have an automatic water softener. If you have a water conditioning service change out the tank on your
water softener on a regular basis, then you have a portable exchange tank system.
But I like my automatic water softener. Can I continue to use it?
Technically, yes. However, the Sanitation Districts have passed ordinances that prohibit new installation
of automatic water softeners. They also have launched an outreach campaign asking all automatic water
softener users to unplug their machines today.
If your softener breaks down, you cannot install a replacement—you’ll have to find an alternative (see
below). You also cannot transfer your system when you move within the Santa Clarita Valley. Residents
who violate the new ordinances banning the installation of self-regenerating water softeners will be
subject to a fine of up to $1000 and/or imprisonment not to exceed 30 days.
If I use potassium chloride in my water softener instead of sodium chloride, will that help eliminate the
problem?
No. Although potassium chloride does not contain sodium, it still contains chloride.
Can I divert the brine waste from the sewer system by installing a drain line into my yard, so that the
discharged water can irrigate my lawn?
No, we do not recommend irrigating with brine waste, even if you use potassium chloride in your water
softener. Irrigation with brine waste requires a permit from the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality
Control Board, and such permits are costly and difficult to obtain.
I don’t like the quality of the water coming into my home. How can I treat it without using an automatic
water softener?
A number of different treatment systems are available for the water you use in your home. If you need
soft water, you can switch to an alternative means of softening your water, such as an exchange tank
water softening system. Some vendors offer non-salt treatment units for conditioning water. Depending
on your needs, you may also consider filtration, activated carbon, or reverse osmosis treatment units.
Filtration simply stated, removes suspended matter from water by mechanical “screening.” Basic filters
usually are porous beds of insoluble material. Other examples include cast forms, plates of sheet
material, synthetic membranes, finely perforated plastic or specially sized beds of inert particles.
Suspended silt, clay, colloids, and some microorganisms are removed by the filtration process. Simple
cartridge filters may be effective for low levels of turbidity.
Activated Carbon Filtration systems involve the adhesion of one material on the surface of a second solid
substance based on opposing electrical charges of each material. These systems are widely used to
eliminate certain hazardous compounds related to industrial wastes, chemicals and pesticides. This
treatment method can also remove unpleasant tastes and odors caused by decaying organic matter,
dissolved gases, and residual chlorine.
Reverse Osmosis methods employ a unit divided into two chambers by a semi-permeable membrane.
One of the chambers contains “raw” water with undesirable constituent(s) (e.g., salt). Reverse osmosis
involves the application of pressure to the side of the chamber containing the “raw” water. This forces
the water to leave the contaminated chamber and flow through the treatment membrane into the
“treated” water chamber, leaving the unwanted minerals behind, which are then rinsed to the drain. The
membrane filters the water on a molecular scale. Reverse osmosis provides partially demineralized
water.
The American Ground Water Trust, state health departments, water well construction agencies, local
health officials or ground water industry professionals are sources for assistance and/or referral to
qualified water testing services. It is important to have an independent water analysis. Look for a
professional who understands your water chemistry, explains your treatment options and who pays
attention to the details specific to your home and water supply. Before purchasing major conditioning
equipment, obtain information and bids from more than one conditioning company. You may want to
check on the reputation of the company by contacting your local Better Business Bureau.
(Descriptions and suggestions above provided by the American Ground Water Trust.)
Why can’t the Sanitation Districts treat our tap water to make it softer and eliminate the need for water
softener systems?
It is not within the Sanitation Districts’ purview to treat and serve drinking water. Any decision to further
treat tap water would have to be made by the local water agencies in the Santa Clarita Valley. You can
contact your water company to make your views known.
Note that it may be very costly and difficult to treat all of the tap water in the Santa Clarita area, since half
of the potable (drinkable) water in the area comes from groundwater wells, and it is the water from the
groundwater wells that is hard. Water treatment equipment would have to be installed and maintained at
numerous wellhead locations that are scattered around the Santa Clarita Valley or combined to develop
a centralized treatment facility and new distribution system.
But it’s not a problem for the vast majority of residents— most of the residences in the Santa Clarita area
do not currently use automatic water softeners.
Why can’t the existing treatment plants be modified to take out the chloride?
They can be modified, but the treatment needed (microfiltration and reverse osmosis) is very costly. It
will cost the Sanitation Districts and its customers more than $300 million to construct additional
treatment to remove chloride from wastewater if the amount of chloride entering the sewers is not
reduced by residents. Approximately 50 percent of this expense is due to the cost of installation of a 46-
mile pipe (brine line) to take the salt waste produced during treatment to the ocean and the installation of
a three-mile underwater pipe at the ocean.
the Sanitation Districts have to build new treatment facilities, will my sewage costs increase?
Yes. The cost of new facilities would have to be borne by residents and businesses of the Santa Clarita
Valley, with sewage rates expected to increase by three times the current level, if the cost is equally
distributed among all residences. If only users of self-regenerating water softeners are charged for the
treatment, the cost could be approximately $2,000 per year per household with an automatic water
softener.
still have questions. Who can I talk to for more information?
If you have any further questions about the ordinances or want more information about your choices, you
may call the Sanitation Districts toll-free at 1-877-CUT-SALT or visit their chloride web site at
www.lacsd.org/chloride.
LA County Sanitation District
Santa Clarita.DailyNews.Com 12/5/04
Water woes a hard problem for Fillmore folks
Some softeners must go or residents and city might face stiff fines
By Eric Leach
Staff Writer
FILLMORE -- Residents of Fillmore, who have some of the hardest water in Ventura County, may face
heavy fines if they do not remove their beloved water softening devices that discharge chloride into the
Santa Clara River.
By September 2008, the city could face fines up to $1.1 million a year if it does not comply with state
water discharge requirements, officials said.
"Some people have said, why not just pay the fine and keep our water softeners, but that is not a viable
alternative," said City Engineer Bert Rapp. "We could never consider violating the limits (state officials)
have imposed."
One alternative for Fillmore's 4,200 households is to build a plant that would cost about $24 a month per
household and soften water for the entire city without discharging prohibited levels of salt, Rapp said.
"If we can soften the city's drinking water (at this plant) it would remove 75 percent of the hardness in
the water, which would make everybody's plumbing fixtures last longer, their water heaters would last
longer, their clothes would wash better, their dishes would wash better. It would improve the quality of
water for all of our customers."
Jonathan Bishop, executive officer of the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, the state
agency that ordered Fillmore to clean up the problem, said the chloride is a threat to aquatic life in the
river and agriculture in Ventura County.
Fines are possible in 2008 if Fillmore does not comply, but the amount of the fines would depend on the
situation at that time, he said.
"This problem has been going on for 20 years. We've given Fillmore many chances to address this
problem, and we support Fillmore's efforts to limit water softeners."
Fillmore is in a peculiar situation because of the hard water that comes from wells in the area and the
ecological sensitivity of the Santa Clara River.
Dawn Ladny, a resident who supports building a plant to soften water for the entire city, said living in
Fillmore without a water softener is not an option to many people.
"If I didn't have a water softener, I would be replacing my dishwasher every couple of years," she said.
Left untreated, the hard Fillmore water "tastes terrible and eats into the porcelain on your toilets and
sinks," she said. "The glasses come out of the dishwasher clouded with lime deposits. Your skin is very
dry."
The Fillmore area has a high concentration of minerals, anywhere from 18 to 30 grains per gallon,
compared with Los Angeles, where water provided by the Department of Water and Power might range
from 7 to 8 grains per gallon. In Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley, the level is in the 9- to 15-grain range.
Those minerals can be removed by the so-called "automatic" water softening units that use rock salt
and discharge the brine or chloride into the sewer system. New installation of such softeners has
already been banned in Fillmore, but hundreds remain.
Other types of water softeners, like those supplied and maintained by companies such as Culligan or
Rain do not create a problem because their canisters are removed and replaced regularly and the salt is
not discharged into the local sewer system, but into a safe location by the ocean.
Company officials say costs of automatic softeners range from between $500 to $2,400, plus about $10
per month for expenses such as buying rock salt for a family of four. The water softening exchange
services in Fillmore can cost from $30 to $75 per month, depending on the size of the household, and
there may be installation costs, depending on the home, Rapp said.
City officials estimate that 39 percent of Fillmore's households have water softeners, but of these, only
422 households have the automatic brine-discharging variety that put salt in the river.
The city is asking residents to attend a public workshop on the problem at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Fillmore
City Hall, 250 Central Ave.
In early spring, the city plans to send residents questionnaires on options the city might pursue.
One of the most controversial options is to add a $600 per month chloride control and removal surcharge
to sewer bills, which would be lifted only if customers sign statements saying they do not have a brine-
discharging water softener.
Original Article
Corrosion - If your water softener uses salt or potassium, your galvanized steel pipes are suffering. Ask
homeowners who have used water softeners for many years and are experiencing burst pipes and slab
leaks, salt and potassium are corrosive. Over a period of time water treated with salt and potassium
based softeners will corrode iron pipes or exposed steel surfaces, reducing the life of your pipes. Many
people with galvanized pipes find that salt softened water does prevent scale build-up, but the trade-off is
the salt also corrodes their pipes. Not only your pipes will suffer, appliances definitely take a beating
from water high in salt. You may see no scale buildup, and you probably won’t see the salt corrosion
either, until your appliance needs to be replaced—prematurely.
Lead - Water softeners also increase the possibility that lead will leach from pipes and fittings into your
water. Even if you have new pipes, did you know that brass fittings can, by law, contain as much as 8%
lead by weight? So even if your pipes are new, you could still be getting lead from your fixtures and from
lead solder. The use of lead solder with copper pipes is still widespread. Experts consider this lead
solder as the major cause of lead contamination of household water in U.S. homes today.
Environment – There are many municipalities across the country that have begun to address the fact that
high levels of sodium AND high levels of chloride adversely affect the environment. Don’t be part of the
problem…We have the Solution!
Paso Robles City Website as of 2/28/06 CLICK HERE
WATER SOFTENERS ISSUES
There is more to water softeners than just soft water. Water softeners reduce the “hardness” of the
water, which can have several benefits for consumers: smaller amounts of soap and detergents (non-
synthetic) are necessary for laundry and cleaning processes; reduced staining, spotting, scaling; bathing
and showering feelings; increased fabric life; and energy saving in water heating due to less scaling.
How does a water softener work?
A typical water softener softens water by ion exchange, which involves the exchange of the hardness
minerals, chiefly calcium and magnesium, for sodium or potassium minerals.
The exchange takes place by passing water containing hardness minerals over ion exchange resins in a
tank. As the calcium and magnesium contact the resin in their travel through the resin tank, they
displace sodium or potassium ions. The displaced sodium or potassium ions pass downward through
the resin “bed” and out the softener drain; thus, the softener delivers “soft” water.
The Problem
The discharge of salt brines from the regeneration of water softeners into the wastewater collection
system has a negative impact on recycled water and wastewater effluent. Higher salinity increases the
treatment costs and reduces the potential for reuse of wastewater for non-potable irrigation and
industrial purposes. It can also impairs a wastewater treatment agency’s ability to comply with
discharge standards for total dissolved solids (TDS) which is a measure of the total concentration of
dissolved minerals in water, including concentrations such as sodium, calcium, magnesium, and
potassium, and anions such as chloride, sulfate, and many others.
A typical wastewater treatment facility removes very little of these mineral concentrations from the
waste stream and are passed on to the environment.
Sodium really has no redeeming value in the environment outside of saltwater or brackish water
ecosystems. It has been declared as the biggest contaminate affecting water supplies in California, the
nation and the world. Water with salinity levels above 1,000 mg/l is of questionable use for irrigation and
industrial customers. As salinity increases, laundry detergents work less efficiently, plumbing fixtures
and home appliances wear out faster and industry incurs higher treatment costs for boilers, cooling
towers and manufacturing processes, and farmers experience reduced crop yields.
City of Santa Clarita website as of 3/13/06 CLICK HERE
Chloride, Water Softeners, and Residents
What is chloride?
Chloride is one of the two components of sodium chloride, also known as table salt or rock salt. It is also
one of the two components of potassium chloride, also known as potassium tablets or potassium
crystals.
Why is chloride bad for water?
Too much chloride in the water can damage agricultural crops by causing leaf burn or drying of leaf
tissue, thereby reduce crop yields. It also can harm aquatic life.
Why is it necessary to reduce chloride levels in the Santa Clara River?
The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Board) has set a water quality limit of
100 milligrams per liter (parts per million) for the Santa Clara River . Regional Board officials believe that
this limit is necessary to protect downstream farmers growing sensitive agricultural crops, such as
avocados and strawberries, that use river water for irrigation. In addition, the Santa Clara River is home
to a number of endangered species, including steelhead trout, the Santa Ana sucker, the unarmored
three-spine stickleback fish, and the Southwestern Arroyo toad. Currently the concentration of chloride
being discharged to the river is twice the acceptable level established by the state.
How does chloride end up in the Santa Clara River?
In Santa Clarita, after we use water for washing dishes, showering, laundering, flushing toilets, and other
uses, the “wastewater” that’s left goes to the sewer. From there it flows to either the Saugus Water
Reclamation Plant or the Valencia Water Reclamation Plant for treatment. These treatment plants are
owned and operated by the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County , and they put water into the Santa
Clara River after it has been treated. While the treatment plants remove many impurities and polluting
substances from wastewater, they are not designed to remove chloride. The chloride in wastewater
goes through the treatment plants to the Santa Clara River .
I always thought that most of the chloride in the Santa Clara River comes from industrial, rather than
residential, use. Isn’t that true?
No. Most of the chloride in the Santa Clara River comes from residences, both from on-site regeneration
of automatic water softeners and from chloride that already exists in the drinking water from your tap –
these are the biggest sources. Small amounts of chloride also come from soaps, detergents and other
cleaning products, particularly laundry products.
The discharge of chloride from industrial and commercial businesses is regulated by the Sanitation
Districts, and Santa Clarita businesses have been prevented from using automatic water softeners since
1961.
How can I help reduce the amount of chloride going to the Santa Clara River?
If you have an automatic water softener, also known as a self-regenerating water softener or rock salt
softener, the most important thing you can do is to stop discharging the salty waste (called brine) from it
into the sewer system. Unplug it today and explore alternatives to your automatic water softener.
Other steps you can take are to use non-chlorine bleach instead of chlorine bleach and to minimize the
amount of laundry detergents and fabric softeners that you use, since many of these products contain
chloride. You can find environmentally sound detergents and cleaners at most grocery stores.
How do I know if I have an automatic water softener?
If you add salt or potassium to your water softener or have a water conditioning service do so, then you
have an automatic water softener. If you have a water conditioning service change out the tank on your
water softener on a regular basis, then you have a portable exchange tank system.
But I like my automatic water softener. Can I continue to use it?
Technically, yes. However, the Sanitation Districts have passed ordinances that prohibit new installation
of automatic water softeners. They also have launched an outreach campaign asking all automatic water
softener users to unplug their machines today.
If your softener breaks down, you cannot install a replacement—you’ll have to find an alternative (see
below). You also cannot transfer your system when you move within the Santa Clarita Valley. Residents
who violate the new ordinances banning the installation of self-regenerating water softeners will be
subject to a fine of up to $1000 and/or imprisonment not to exceed 30 days.
If I use potassium chloride in my water softener instead of sodium chloride, will that help eliminate the
problem?
No. Although potassium chloride does not contain sodium, it still contains chloride.
Can I divert the brine waste from the sewer system by installing a drain line into my yard, so that the
discharged water can irrigate my lawn?
No, we do not recommend irrigating with brine waste, even if you use potassium chloride in your water
softener. Irrigation with brine waste requires a permit from the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality
Control Board, and such permits are costly and difficult to obtain.
I don’t like the quality of the water coming into my home. How can I treat it without using an automatic
water softener?
A number of different treatment systems are available for the water you use in your home. If you need
soft water, you can switch to an alternative means of softening your water, such as an exchange tank
water softening system. Some vendors offer non-salt treatment units for conditioning water. Depending
on your needs, you may also consider filtration, activated carbon, or reverse osmosis treatment units.
Filtration simply stated, removes suspended matter from water by mechanical “screening.” Basic filters
usually are porous beds of insoluble material. Other examples include cast forms, plates of sheet
material, synthetic membranes, finely perforated plastic or specially sized beds of inert particles.
Suspended silt, clay, colloids, and some microorganisms are removed by the filtration process. Simple
cartridge filters may be effective for low levels of turbidity.
Activated Carbon Filtration systems involve the adhesion of one material on the surface of a second solid
substance based on opposing electrical charges of each material. These systems are widely used to
eliminate certain hazardous compounds related to industrial wastes, chemicals and pesticides. This
treatment method can also remove unpleasant tastes and odors caused by decaying organic matter,
dissolved gases, and residual chlorine.
Reverse Osmosis methods employ a unit divided into two chambers by a semi-permeable membrane.
One of the chambers contains “raw” water with undesirable constituent(s) (e.g., salt). Reverse osmosis
involves the application of pressure to the side of the chamber containing the “raw” water. This forces
the water to leave the contaminated chamber and flow through the treatment membrane into the
“treated” water chamber, leaving the unwanted minerals behind, which are then rinsed to the drain. The
membrane filters the water on a molecular scale. Reverse osmosis provides partially demineralized
water.
The American Ground Water Trust, state health departments, water well construction agencies, local
health officials or ground water industry professionals are sources for assistance and/or referral to
qualified water testing services. It is important to have an independent water analysis. Look for a
professional who understands your water chemistry, explains your treatment options and who pays
attention to the details specific to your home and water supply. Before purchasing major conditioning
equipment, obtain information and bids from more than one conditioning company. You may want to
check on the reputation of the company by contacting your local Better Business Bureau.
(Descriptions and suggestions above provided by the American Ground Water Trust.)
Why can’t the Sanitation Districts treat our tap water to make it softer and eliminate the need for water
softener systems?
It is not within the Sanitation Districts’ purview to treat and serve drinking water. Any decision to further
treat tap water would have to be made by the local water agencies in the Santa Clarita Valley. You can
contact your water company to make your views known.
Note that it may be very costly and difficult to treat all of the tap water in the Santa Clarita area, since half
of the potable (drinkable) water in the area comes from groundwater wells, and it is the water from the
groundwater wells that is hard. Water treatment equipment would have to be installed and maintained at
numerous wellhead locations that are scattered around the Santa Clarita Valley or combined to develop
a centralized treatment facility and new distribution system.
But it’s not a problem for the vast majority of residents— most of the residences in the Santa Clarita area
do not currently use automatic water softeners.
Why can’t the existing treatment plants be modified to take out the chloride?
They can be modified, but the treatment needed (microfiltration and reverse osmosis) is very costly. It
will cost the Sanitation Districts and its customers more than $300 million to construct additional
treatment to remove chloride from wastewater if the amount of chloride entering the sewers is not
reduced by residents. Approximately 50 percent of this expense is due to the cost of installation of a 46-
mile pipe (brine line) to take the salt waste produced during treatment to the ocean and the installation of
a three-mile underwater pipe at the ocean.
the Sanitation Districts have to build new treatment facilities, will my sewage costs increase?
Yes. The cost of new facilities would have to be borne by residents and businesses of the Santa Clarita
Valley, with sewage rates expected to increase by three times the current level, if the cost is equally
distributed among all residences. If only users of self-regenerating water softeners are charged for the
treatment, the cost could be approximately $2,000 per year per household with an automatic water
softener.
still have questions. Who can I talk to for more information?
If you have any further questions about the ordinances or want more information about your choices, you
may call the Sanitation Districts toll-free at 1-877-CUT-SALT or visit their chloride web site at
www.lacsd.org/chloride.
LA County Sanitation District
Santa Clarita.DailyNews.Com 12/5/04
Water woes a hard problem for Fillmore folks
Some softeners must go or residents and city might face stiff fines
By Eric Leach
Staff Writer
FILLMORE -- Residents of Fillmore, who have some of the hardest water in Ventura County, may face
heavy fines if they do not remove their beloved water softening devices that discharge chloride into the
Santa Clara River.
By September 2008, the city could face fines up to $1.1 million a year if it does not comply with state
water discharge requirements, officials said.
"Some people have said, why not just pay the fine and keep our water softeners, but that is not a viable
alternative," said City Engineer Bert Rapp. "We could never consider violating the limits (state officials)
have imposed."
One alternative for Fillmore's 4,200 households is to build a plant that would cost about $24 a month per
household and soften water for the entire city without discharging prohibited levels of salt, Rapp said.
"If we can soften the city's drinking water (at this plant) it would remove 75 percent of the hardness in
the water, which would make everybody's plumbing fixtures last longer, their water heaters would last
longer, their clothes would wash better, their dishes would wash better. It would improve the quality of
water for all of our customers."
Jonathan Bishop, executive officer of the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, the state
agency that ordered Fillmore to clean up the problem, said the chloride is a threat to aquatic life in the
river and agriculture in Ventura County.
Fines are possible in 2008 if Fillmore does not comply, but the amount of the fines would depend on the
situation at that time, he said.
"This problem has been going on for 20 years. We've given Fillmore many chances to address this
problem, and we support Fillmore's efforts to limit water softeners."
Fillmore is in a peculiar situation because of the hard water that comes from wells in the area and the
ecological sensitivity of the Santa Clara River.
Dawn Ladny, a resident who supports building a plant to soften water for the entire city, said living in
Fillmore without a water softener is not an option to many people.
"If I didn't have a water softener, I would be replacing my dishwasher every couple of years," she said.
Left untreated, the hard Fillmore water "tastes terrible and eats into the porcelain on your toilets and
sinks," she said. "The glasses come out of the dishwasher clouded with lime deposits. Your skin is very
dry."
The Fillmore area has a high concentration of minerals, anywhere from 18 to 30 grains per gallon,
compared with Los Angeles, where water provided by the Department of Water and Power might range
from 7 to 8 grains per gallon. In Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley, the level is in the 9- to 15-grain range.
Those minerals can be removed by the so-called "automatic" water softening units that use rock salt
and discharge the brine or chloride into the sewer system. New installation of such softeners has
already been banned in Fillmore, but hundreds remain.
Other types of water softeners, like those supplied and maintained by companies such as Culligan or
Rain do not create a problem because their canisters are removed and replaced regularly and the salt is
not discharged into the local sewer system, but into a safe location by the ocean.
Company officials say costs of automatic softeners range from between $500 to $2,400, plus about $10
per month for expenses such as buying rock salt for a family of four. The water softening exchange
services in Fillmore can cost from $30 to $75 per month, depending on the size of the household, and
there may be installation costs, depending on the home, Rapp said.
City officials estimate that 39 percent of Fillmore's households have water softeners, but of these, only
422 households have the automatic brine-discharging variety that put salt in the river.
The city is asking residents to attend a public workshop on the problem at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Fillmore
City Hall, 250 Central Ave.
In early spring, the city plans to send residents questionnaires on options the city might pursue.
One of the most controversial options is to add a $600 per month chloride control and removal surcharge
to sewer bills, which would be lifted only if customers sign statements saying they do not have a brine-
discharging water softener.
Original Article
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |