Here is another article about local government trying to protect their local water supply from the damage caused by salt discharged from water softeners. The Inland Empire Utilities Agency in California is moving toward a ban on salt-based softeners, and offering rebates for people to disconnect and remove existing water softeners.

The agency is working hard to implement new laws banning salt-based water softeners, and to continue rebate incentives for current water softener owners who switch to new salt-free technologies. If the water agency is successful, they could save millions of dollars because they will not have to install salt removal technology at the sewage plant. This is the same premise behind the softener bans in Santa Clarita.  Ultimately, taxpayers are burdened with the added costs of plant upgrades…

Most water softeners use approximately 30 pounds of salt each month. The salt discharged from these softeners contributes to roughly 10% of the salt found in the sewage treatment system. Local governments trying to recycle the water experience great difficulties with the salt content in the water. The recycling water systems will not work correctly if the salt content is too high, and reuse for irrigation, crops and other reclaimed water needs becomes impossible.  Of course, this does not even touch on the problems the excess salt causes the environment.

There is still much opposition to the outlawing of salt-based water softeners. Opponents like Culligan say that without the softeners, consumers use more detergent and waste more energy. Water softener champions say that salt-laden soft water allows for a more chemical free household.

At Pure Elements, we know that viable salt-free alternatives can also greatly reduce the use of soaps and detergents, as our systems have proven successful for over 30 years. And our HealthyHome Solution system is environmentally friendly by reducing the requirement for water and fertilizers for plant life. Therefore, big water softener manufacturers and the salt industry are spewing out a lot of misinformation. We think it is very unfortunate that large corporations put a spin on the truth, confuse the people, and harm Mother Nature in order to make a buck.

Come on, people – The technology is here and you can easily make the right choice for your family, your home and our environment.  Our clients do every day.