Santa Clarita Valley Sanitation District Enforcing Ban on Illegal Automatic Water Softeners

SANTA CLARITA, CA, Aug 04 (MARKET WIRE) --
Today, the Santa Clarita Valley Sanitation District mailed approximately
2,500 letters to residents suspected of having illegal automatic water
softeners. This targeted mailing is part of an enforcement program by the
District to rid the community of banned automatic water softeners and to
decrease the cost to the community of complying with State mandates
through the Regional Water Quality Control Board for chloride (salt) in
the District's discharge to the Santa Clara River.

Nearly two thirds of Santa Clarita Valley voters approved Measure S,
enacting the Santa Clara River Chloride Reduction Ordinance of 2008. The
Ordinance required the removal and disposal of all automatic water
softeners in homes connected to the sewer system. These water softeners,
which use rock salt or potassium chloride pellets, discharge high levels
of salt to the sewer system. Though the District's two wastewater
reclamation plants produce high quality water that is suitable for
recycling, they do not remove salt. The treated water leaving the
treatment plants exceeds the state-set salt limit.

"The District has successfully removed approximately 7,300 automatic
water softeners as a result of the implementation of a Rebate and Public
Outreach Program in the valley," said Steve Maguin, Chief Engineer and
General Manager for the District. "This has led to a very substantial
decrease in the salt levels in the water leaving the District's water
reclamation plants. Unfortunately, there are many illegal automatic water
softeners still in the community with an estimated 500 of them
discharging to the sewer system."

"This Enforcement Program will help remove the remaining automatic water
softeners in the community. It will further lower the salt concentration
in the water going to the river and ultimately save Santa Clarita Valley
residents and businesses a substantial sum of money," said Marsha McLean,
Mayor of the City of Santa Clarita.

Residents who still have illegal automatic water softeners have 30 days
to apply for a rebate and an additional 30 days, after the receipt of an
Authorization for Rebate letter, to remove the unit. For residents who
received an enforcement letter and no longer have an illegal automatic
water softener, they will have 30 days to complete a questionnaire and
return it to the District.

Home inspections will be conducted for residents that do not respond to
the enforcement letters. If automatic water softeners are found,
residents will be issued Notices of Violation and may be fined $1,000.

The District serves the wastewater management needs of the Santa Clarita
Valley. The agency protects public health and the environment by
constructing, operating, and maintaining a regional system that collects,
treats, recycles and disposes of wastewater. The Directors of the
District are the mayor and a City Council member from Santa Clarita and
the chairperson of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

For more information on the automatic water softener ban and the Rebate
Program, please visit the District's website at www.lacsd.org/chloride or
call 1-877-CUT-SALT.

District Contact:
Dave Snyder
(562) 908-4288 x 2902

Copyright 2011, Market Wire, All rights reserved.

-0-