Our water is a lot less hard than it used to be so you don’t need one. Also, self-regenerating water softeners can send up to 175 pounds of salt down the sewer. We cannot remove that salt so it pushes us over sewer treatment salinity regulations. District Regulations require any of our wastewater customers who want to install a water softener to use a “Replaceable Cartridge” type water softener. Our Regional Water Quality Control Board Discharge Permit requires us to reduce the salt byproducts in our wastewater effluent.

We offer a $300 rebate for anyone who removes a self-regenerating water softener or a $250 rebate for anyone who replaces one with a cartridge type. For more details, call the Water Resources Association at (831) 637-4378 or go to https://wrasbc.isoars.com

If you are not ready to give up your water softener, try bypassing it for a while to see if you are okay with the tap water hardness. If you must use a softener, make sure it is in the “On Demand” setting. Then experiment with the softener settings to see what hardness is acceptable for you.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I USE A SELF-REGENERATING WATER SOFTENER?
Self-regenerating water softeners use salt, the type that uses rock salt or potassium, and may deposit up to 600 pounds of brine into the sewer system and into the environment each year.  That's a problem because Sunnyslope County Water District wastewater treatment plant cannot remove these salts during the treatment process and these salts, along with our wastewater effluent, are recycled back into the groundwater.
District Regulations require our wastewater customers who install a water softener to use a "Replaceable Cartridge" type water softener.  Our Regional Water Quality Control Board Discharge Permit requires us to reduce the salt byproducts in our wastewater effluent.  High Quality Surface Water is now available to the Sunnyslope County Water District wastewater service area and the use of Water Softeners may be discontinued.

IF I ALREADY OWN A SELF-REGENERATING WATER SOFTENER, WHAT CAN I DO TO LESSEN ITS IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT?
Water softeners use the least salt when they are set to regenerate "on demand", after a certain amount of water has been processed, and not just on a timer.  If you do not have an on-demand setting, make sure to turn the unit off when it is not being used, such as when you go on vacation.  Also, set the unit at the lowest hardness level that will soften the water.  Experiment with the settings to see what is acceptable to you.  Surface water is now being provided to the Sunnyslope County Water District wastewater service area and the use of Water Softeners are no longer needed.

WHAT KIND OF WATER SOFTENER CAN WE USE?
District Regulations require our wastewater customers who install a water softener to use a "Replaceable Cartridge" type water softener.  Our Regional Water Quality Control Board Discharge Permit requires us to reduce the salt byproducts in our wastewater effluent.  High Quality Surface Water is now available to the Sunnyslope County Water District wastewater service area and the use of Water Softeners may be discontinued.