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General Information |
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INTRODUCTION
The salt loading impact from water softeners on water reclamation plants has long been a controversial issue. The discharge of salt from the regeneration of water softeners into the wastewater collection system has a negative impact on recycled water and wastewater plant 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 impair a wastewater treatment agency’s ability to comply with discharge standards for chlorides or other mineral constituents of the wastewater.
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Measure S - And More To Follow
Legislation is becoming increasing more restrictive. In 1999, SB 1006 was passed, which set the stage for local communities to limit the use of self-regenerating chloride water softeners, if testing showed that it was necessary to maintain acceptable water quality. In 2003, AB 334 went a step further, and left it to the communities to decide if they wanted to limit or prohibit the use of those softeners, even without proving it was necessary, in order to meet state standards.
More recently, in 2008, Measure S was passed by the Santa Clarita Valley Sanitation District of Los Angeles County. Whereas new installations of self-regenerating water softeners (SRWS) were already prohibited since 2003, Measure S now requires that all existing SRWS systems in the District must be removed by July 30, 2009. Owners not in compliance will be fined.
Additionally, Governor Schwarzenegger recently vetoed AB 2270, which would have essentially given every municipality in the state the ability to do the same. However, in response, the State Legislature has already passed through Committee, AB 1366, which basically parrots AB 2270, as pertains to water softeners. Support in the House and Senate seems to be sufficient to pass it again, this time with sufficient votes to make it veto-proof.
And as this is still unfolding, support in the Legislature is already growing for a state-wide ban on SRWS systems. Several other states have similar campaigns underway. It seems that it’s only a matter of time.
Why Treat The Water In Your Home?
There are many reasons to treat your water, most of which were mentioned earlier. But there are some less obvious results from not treating it.
First, if your area has hard water, and you are doing nothing to effectively counteract that, you will be slowly destroying your plumbing, your water-consuming appliances, your fixtures and your fabrics. Untreated hard water leaves behind calcium and magnesium particles, which attach themselves to everything they touch. Those crystals build up, clogging your plumbing lines, the control valves and orifices in your appliances, the screens and valves of your fixtures, and attaching themselves to the fibers of your clothes and bedding. They cling to your hair and body, leave hard to remove water spots on your windows, your glassware and dishes, and every surface that they make contact with. |
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On the other hand, the public can derive benefits from access to soft water. Water softeners reduce the “hardness” of the water, which can have several benefits for consumers: smaller amounts of soap and detergents 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. In addition, many industries, including hospitals and high-tech manufacturers, need soft water for various uses; process boilers and cooling towers can be made more efficient, for example.
In areas with a high market penetration of water softeners, because of the higher salinity levels in the wastewater stream, reclaimed water has diminished usefulness for certain end uses, especially certain irrigation, industrial, and groundwater recharge applications. The higher salt load resulting from water softeners may necessitate that treatment processes beyond those commonly used in reclamation plants be considered. |
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On the left is shown a typical SRWS system, with the INPUT (hard) shown by the green arrow, and the OUTPUT (soft) shown by the blue arrow. |
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Above, and top, some of the results of using hard water, from nearly blocked piping, to water spots on your dishes. |
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To Contact Us |
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Below, a cutaway of a water heater, after several years of use with hard water. |
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Obviously, partially clogged water lines can be a problem. Low water flow means it takes longer to fill the tub, the washer and the water heater. But there are more serious implications to this scale buildup. For instance, let’s take a look at the water heater pictured above. Some of the scale will build up on the anode, which is a zinc rod placed inside the water tank, for the sole purposed of attracting the scale, rather than having it attach itself to the walls of the tank. However, as that anode rod becomes coated, the flow and vibration within the tank frees up particles, which then fall to the bottom as sediment. In a gas water heater, that means that an insulating layer is established, between the burner element beneath the tank, and the water within. One study showed that a new water heater took an hour and a half to bring cold water up to temperature, while an identical unit, with only 5mm (approx. 1/2 inch) of scale buildup, took over four hours to achieve the same result. That’s a lot of wasted energy, which is coming right out of your wallet.
It also means that as scale continues to build up, the volume of water in the heater is reducing, although the energy consumption continues to increase - a vicious circle, by any standard.
As if that’s not enough, the scale is building up on the control valves of your dishwasher and washing machine, limiting flow, and often preventing them from fully opening or closing. It’s slowly blocking the openings in your faucets and shower heads, blocking the fill line to your icemaker, and building up lime deposits in your tub, shower, sinks and toilet bowls...generally degrading the water service throughout your entire house.
So, treatment is a necessity, if the water in your area is hard. The question is, what type of treatment system do you want to install? Even if you aren't located in an area where SRWS systems are already banned, you’d be wise to discard them from your list. They’ll soon be banned, and you’d have to pay to remove it, and replace it. The ideal choice of course, would be the one type of system that will give you all the benefits of a chloride water softener, with none of the downside.
That choice is
Read on, to see all the benefits you can be enjoying, with the Ecomate™ Whole House Water Conditioning System.
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Below are some cut-away images of a hot water heater, after several years of use, with hard water. |
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Southern California: CleanStream Water Conditioning 16267 San Fernando Mission Blvd., #210 Granada Hills, CA 91344
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General Info |
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