News release
To protect water quality in the Santa Clara River watershed, the Newhall Ranch Sanitation District has proposed banning residential automatic water softeners in the Newhall Ranch community.
Like surrounding communities, Newhall Ranch must meet strict state chloride (a
component of salt) standards for water entering the Santa Clara River, said a news release from the Sanitation District. Managing hard water and salt content remains a regional challenge, the release said.
Newhall Ranch’s wastewater is treated by the Santa Clarita Valley Sanitation District, which already prohibits automatic water softeners because of their impact on chloride levels.
Efforts to reduce chloride in local wastewater have been ongoing since the 1990s, as part of state-mandated requirements for chloride discharged to the Santa Clara River. Chloride control is vital in the Santa Clara River watershed, which faces strict water-quality requirements because of the river’s importance for environmental and agricultural uses, the release said.
Other downstream communities such as Fillmore and Santa Paula also have similar restrictions.
The Santa Clarita Valley Sanitation District and the Newhall Ranch Sanitation District are part of the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, which manage wastewater in the region.
Wastewater from homes and businesses in the Santa Clarita Valley is sent to the Saugus or Valencia Water reclamation plants, where it is treated to protect public health and meet a variety of regulatory standards.
“Automatic water softeners are a primary source of chloride in local wastewater,”
Michael Chee, public information officer for the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, said in the release. “These devices use salt to regenerate, producing brine that enters the sewer system. Removing chloride requires specialized treatment processes, which would require rate increases for NRSD customers. The existing treatment system at the Valencia Water Reclamation Plant is simply not large enough to handle the chloride from residential automatic water softeners.”
Reducing chloride at the source is critical to protecting the Santa Clara River — one of Southern California’s last natural rivers — and maintaining effective wastewater treatment and water recycling in the region, the release said.
The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Board supports efforts to control residential use of automatic water softeners to protect both groundwater and surface water quality.
The proposed ordinance targets new and existing residential installations of self-regenerating water softeners in Newhall Ranch. It does not prevent residents from using water-conditioning technologies altogether. Alternative systems that do not discharge salt-laden water, such as non-salt-based technologies and point-of-use treatments, remain available. The district also offers a free removal program for residents with existing water softeners. Applications are available at LACSD.org/Chloride.
“This water softener ban reflects our commitment to public health, environmental protection, and sustainable wastewater management,” Chee added. “By addressing chloride at its source, we aim to safeguard local water resources and support a sustainable water future for the Santa Clarita Valley and the Santa Clara River watershed.”
The NRSD board is scheduled to hold its final public hearing on the proposed ordinance at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in the Board of Supervisors hearing room in downtown Los Angeles. Public comments may be submitted until Thursday, or during the hearing. Residents can call 1-800-CUT-SALT or email [email protected] for more information about removing water softeners in SCV. Details on the meeting can be found at lacsd.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx.
