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Self- Regenerating Water
Softener Prohibition
Pathway to
ordinance
adoption
About IEUA
• Wholesale Imported & Recycled Water
• 235 Square Miles
• 825,000 People
• 7 Facilities Operated • treat 60 million gallons of
wastewater per day.
• Groundwater Recharge Basins
• LEED Platinum Headquarters
• 7 contracting agencies- Cities of Chino,
Chino Hills, Fontana, Montclair, Ontario, Upland, Cucamonga Valley Water District, Monte Vista Water District
Key Discussion Points
Water softener regulations • Prior laws and lawsuits
• LA County Sanitation District History
• Current law
Background of IEUA salt issues • Salt and Nutrient Management Plan
• Salinity Characterization Study
• Salinity Management Action Plan
Lessons learned
• Tips for successful ordinance adoption
Ordinance creation and adoption • Regional Board Finding
• Regional Water Softener Task Force
• Potential Opposition
Future issues • Water conservation technologies
Implementation • Community outreach
• Local business partnerships
History of
Water Softener
Regulations
California Water Softener
Ordinance History
Prior to 1999
Water softener prohibitions were legal and were common local law
2009
AB 1366 allows local agencies to adopt new water softener control
ordinances
1999
Lawsuit (WQA v. City of Escondido) invalidated all water softener
ordinances in California
1999
SB 1006 (Costa) allows a prospective ban of self-regenerating water
softeners if an entity is in non-compliance with permits and completes
extensive studies.
LA County Sanitation District
Water Softener Regulation
History
2006
SB 475 allows LACSD retroactive prohibition of water softeners through voter
referendum
2008
Residents in the Santa Clarita Valley Approve Measure S to enact a retroactive
prohibition on self-regenerating water softeners
2003
LACSD prohibits the future installation of self-regenerating water softeners
2002 LACSD completes study of sources of chloride- first comprehensive assessment of salt sources
and water softener salinity impacts in CA since passage of SB 1006
1999
SB 1006 allows prospective water softener prohibitions (effective 1/1/2003)
AB 1366 (2009, Feuer)
HOW: Before an ordinance can be adopted the Regional Board must make a finding that “the control of
residential salinity input will contribute to the achievement of water quality objectives. The finding me made
in:
• A TMDL that addresses salinity-related pollutants in a water segment
• A salt and nutrient management plan for a groundwater basin or sub-basin
• Waste discharge requirements for a local agency discharger
• Master reclamation permit or requirements for a supplier or distributor of recycled water
• Cease and desist order directed to a local agency
WHAT: Specific actions in the ordinance/resolution may include, but are not limited to:
• Require that SRWS be rated at the highest efficiency and certified by NSF International of the
American National Standards Institute
• Require plumbing permits prior to installation.
• Require SRWS be plumed to hot water only.
• Enact voluntary buy back program.
• Require the removal of previously installed SRWS (requires rebate program to be in place)
• CANNOT apply to residential salt-free scale prevention devices.
WHO can regulate self-regenerating water softeners:
Local agencies or cities that own or operate a community sewer system or water recycling facility
WHEN: • 30 days after a public hearing at which public input is taken and local economic issues are considered
• The ordinance or resolution shall become effective 30 days after the date of its adoption
Salt Management
History in the Chino
Basin
Salt and Nutrient
Management Plan (RWQCB)
TDS management in the IEUA region involves
both regulatory actions by the Regional Board
and actions by other agencies to control and
remediate salt problems
Regulatory Actions: • Limitations of TDS in waste
disposal and municipal wastewater
recycling
• Waste discharge prohibitions.
Other Agency Actions: • Projects to improve water quality
• Construction of groundwater
desalters
• Brine lines
Water quality is an important determinant of the extent to which
wastewater can be reused and recycled without resulting in
adverse impacts on affected receiving waters.
Salinity Characterization Study SS18 FON-4 Chloride Concentration
(Cherry Ave. under 210 Freeway)
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Composite Sample Time Interval*
Ch
lorid
e*
* (
mg
/L)
Day 1 Wed 12/06/06 to 12/07/06
Day 2 Thu 12/07/06 to 12/08/06
Day 3 Fri 12/08/06 to 12/09/06
Day 4 Sat 12/09/06 to 12/10/06
Day 5 Sun 12/10/06 to 12/11/06
Day 6 Mon 01/08/07 to 01/09/07
Day 7 Tue 12/12/06 to 12/13/06
Average of 7 days
* For graphing purposes, hourly composite samples were grouped based on composite samples starting times.
** Data for Cl >608 mg/L are
interpolated for "reference" only as the
concentration levels went well above
scale.
Average of averages from 7 am to 12 Midnight for study period = 40 mg/L
Partners: • National Water
Resources Institute
• Claremont
Graduate
University
• Southern California
Salinity Coalition
• Pacific Water
Quality Association/
Water Quality
Association
Findings: • 9-11% of population has self-regenerating water softeners (CGU Study)
• Consistent with 10-14% estimate from 2005 AAWARF study
• Chloride analysis confirms probable residential self-regenerating water
softener presence in neighborhoods
Salinity Characterization Study:
Sources of Salinity
Water Supply 268 (mg/L)
54% Residential 132 (mg/L)
27%
SRWS 25 (mg/L)
5%
Industrial 8 (mg/L)
1% Commercial 63 (mg/L)
13%
TDS (mg/L)
Salinity Characterization Study:
TDS Treatment Plant Effluent
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700
No Brine Export With Brine Export
TD
S (
mg/L
)
NRWS
Water Softener
Residential
Commercial
Industrial
POTW
Source Water
IEUA NPDES TDS Permit Limit:
550 mg/L
Brine Line
Export: 170 mg/L
Salinity Characterization Study:
Public Opinion Public is often misinformed
• People often purchase water softener for drinking water purity & safety.
Strong support for water softener regulations
• By those who do not own water softeners
People like their self-regenerating water softeners
• Most don’t want to remove even after learning the facts
Alternatives and financial incentives work
• If there is a viable alternative and financial incentive, people are willing to switch.
Whom does the public trust?
• Water and sanitation agencies for info on water softeners and salt issues
Education
• Most people are willing to buy the right type of water softener if they know about the
issues.
Salinity Management Action Plan
Adopted in 2002
Optimize the use of Non-Reclaimable Wastewater system and the Santa Ana River Interceptor brine line
Reduce salinity impacts from treatment plant operations
Develop a residential automatic water softener strategy to reduce the amount of salt entering the wastewater treatment system
Salinity Management Action Plan:
Maximize Use of Brine Lines
$290
$828
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
$900
Bine Line Regional WastewaterDesalter
Cost per ton of TDS removed
Since 2006,
IEUA Brine
Lines have
kept close to
90,000 TONS
of salt out of
the regional
sewer system
Keeping salt (TDS) out of the regional sewer system is less expensive then
taking it out once it is in the system
Salinity Management Action Plan:
Reduce Salinity Impacts from
Treatment Plant Operations
Ordinance
Creation and
Adoption
Regional Board March 2010 July 2009: RWQCB adopted NPDES permit for IEUA prescribing waste discharge and producer/user requirements
for IEUA facilities
Feb 2009: SWRCB Recycled Water Policy states that salts and nutrients from all sources be managed in manner that
ensures attainment of water quality objectives and protection of beneficial uses, and that salt and nutrient
management plans should be adopted in regions and sub regions.
The Basin Plan Amendment currently has in place a salt and nutrient management plan for the Santa Ana River Basin
which includes TDS wasteload allocation for discharges into the Santa Ana River and it’s tributaries
The Basin Plan Amendment recognizes IEUA’s Salinity Management Action Plan to reduce TDS entering its
wastewater treatment plants from all sources.
The Chino Basin Optimum Basin Management Program identifies salinity management as a critical issue as part of the
comprehensive plan for increasing yield.
In 2006 IEUA partnered with many organizations to complete a comprehensive Salinity Characterization Study that
found that self-regenerating water softeners contribute about 10% of all the controllable salt inputs to recycled water.
Self-regenerating water softeners contribute a significant amount of controllable TDS within IEUA’s sewer system and
that significant regional economic impacts will result of residential use of self-regenerating water softeners is not
controlled. The control of residential use of self-regenerating water softeners will contribute to the achievement of the
water quality objectives approved in the Basin Plan Amendment.
Regional Water Softener Task Force Sep. 2010- Jan. 2011
Who: All IEUA contracting agencies
Purpose: to discuss the best way to control salt from self-regenerating water
softeners
Issues: • Enforcement: do the cities have to go door to door?
• Education: how are people going to know about this regulation?
• Alternatives: what do cities tell people to buy instead of self-regenerating water
softeners?
Task Force Recommendations: to prohibit the future installation of self-
regenerating water softeners
Options: • Prohibit self-regenerating water softeners in new construction
• Prohibit the future installation of self-regenerating water softeners
• Require existing water softeners to be removed
• Nothing
Sample Ordinance Tips
Options:
AB 1366 gives many options for regulating self-regenerating water softeners. (ie size, efficiency standards, complete prohibition, future prohibition, new development
prohibition)
Location:
Easy to insert into sewer ordinances because lots of the terms are defined and
enforcement is already written
Process:
IEUA adopted regional ordinance then contracting agencies adopt local
ordinances
Alternatives to Self-Regenerating
Water Softeners
Scale Inhibitors • Suspend solids in water
• Magnets
• Radio Waves
• Sound Waves
• Electricity
Portable Exchange • Virtually the same as
SRWS, but the
regeneration process
takes place at a
regulated facility and
salt is deposited in a
brine line
Implementation
Community Outreach and Support
Informational Workshops for City Councils • City of Fontana: January
• City of Upland: February
• City of Rancho Cucamonga: June
Community Briefings • Business Groups: Building Industry Association; Water
Quality Association; Inland Valleys Association of
REALTORS
• Service Groups: Rotary and Kiwanis: 12 briefings
• Chambers of Commerce: Montclair and Fontana
Voluntary Removal and Rebate • Over 400 residents have voluntarily removed their self
regenerating water softeners.
• This keeps over 70 tons of salt per year from entering the
regional sewer system
Draft Ordinance Support • 23 statements of support from local businesses, state and
regional regulators and environmental organization.
• 111 letters of support from residents in the IEUA service
area.
Community Outreach:
Press Editorials/Op-Eds:
• 7/26/11 Daily Bulletin:
“For our water’s sake, use alternative
water softeners"
• 5/23/11 Daily Bulletin:
“Regulations for softeners needed”
• 9/10/09: Daily Bulletin:
“Bill improves our water supply”
Advertisements:
• Constant advertising of rebate program in
local newspapers
Community Outreach:
Briefings
• Businesses and Business Groups: • Building Industries Association;
• Inland Valleys Association of
REALTORS;
• Water Quality Association
• Kiwanis Clubs
• Rotary Clubs
• Chambers of Commerce
• City Councils
Community Outreach:
Businesses
Meetings and discussions with local
businesses on the effects of self-
regenerating water softeners to local
business operations and the local
economy.
Community Outreach:
Voluntary Rebate Program
Chino, 49
Chino Hills, 88
Fontana, 36
Montclair, 19
Ontario, 40
Rancho Cucamong
a, 91
Upland, 84
Residents can apply for a
rebate, up to $2000 plus free
plumber service, to remove their
self-regenerating water
softeners
Program promotion partners
and communication avenues: • Contracting agencies- bill
inserts
• Inland Valleys Association of
Realtors
• Newspaper Ads
• Newsletter Ads (cities,
chambers, water districts)
Since 2008, IEUA has removed
over 400 self-regenerating water
softeners, keeping over 74 tons
of salt out of the regional sewer
system every year.
Potential Opposition Water Quality Association & Pacific
Water Quality Association:
• Represent all types of water softener
dealers and manufacturers
• Including self-regenerating water
softeners
• Also the saltless and portable exchange
technology).
Activities:
• Vocal opposition to AB 1366
Working with the WQA & PWQA:
• IEUA had an ongoing dialogue with the
PWQA and WQA throughout the
ordinance adoption process
• The PWQA attended a Task Force
meeting and toured IEUA facilities.
Results:
• No opposition at the IEUA Public Hearing
on June 15, 2011
Post Ordinance Adoption
Contracting Agencies Ordinance
Adoption:
IEUA contracting agencies will adopt local
ordinances to implement the IEUA restriction
on the future installation of self-regenerating
water softeners.
Rebate Program:
IEUA will continue to offer and promote the
voluntary rebate program.
Partnerships: Big box stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s
have indicated they are willing to pull self-
regenerating water softeners off their shelves
once the local ordinances are passed.
Future Issues
Water Efficiency & Conservation
New Technologies
New products, such
as on demand water
heaters, are very
sensitive to scale and
require a scale
prevention.
Salt in recycled water
Local businesses are
very conscious of salt
in recycled water to
protect grass and
machines.
Alternatives to Self-Regenerating
Water Softeners:
EPA WaterSense NOI
Issues:
• NOI does not evaluate waterless
devices (scale inhibitors that attach to
pipes that don’t have water run
through them)
• Will give WaterSense label to devices
that discharge salt
Intent:
To capitalize on water savings
opportunities, raise consumer
awareness, and further improve the
efficiency of water softeners,
WaterSense issued a NOI to develop
a draft specification for water-efficient,
high preforming cation exchange
water softeners.
Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned
Work with the water softener industry early
Rebate Program:
Incentivizes people to remove their self-regenerating water softeners and is a source of support for ordinance adoption.
Partnerships and support are very important:
Brief as many local elected officials, community leaders, business groups, and residents as possible
Most frequently asked ?:
What type of water softener is ok to use?
Summary
AB 1366 (2009, Feuer) gives local
agencies the authority to restrict the use
of self-regenerating water softeners
Regional Water Quality Control Board
finding is required before action can be
taken.
Local Agency/Community/Business
outreach and education is important to
get the support necessary to pass an
ordinance.
Questions?