Can I Install a Water Softener in Santa Clarita?

If you are a fan of amusement parks, then you have heard of Six Flags Magic Mountain and Hurricane Harbor, located right next to the city of Santa Clarita. On a hot summer day, a water park like Hurricane Harbor sounds like a cool way to cool off. What’s not cool is dealing with hard water in Santa Clarita, which can dry your skin and build up scale in your pipes.

For over 15 years, we’ve seen the effects of hard water across homes all over Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. At Monkey Wrench Plumbing, Heating, & Air, we’ve installed water treatment systems to combat hard water. One of the most popular systems we install is water softeners.

Water softeners aim to cancel out hard water and produce soft water. Soft water sounds pleasant, but not every city allows water softener installations. Santa Clarita is one of the cities in California that prohibits the installation of water softeners in homes within their boundaries.

Read further to learn why water softeners are not allowed in Santa Clarita and what water softener alternatives are available.

Why Are Water Softeners Banned in Santa Clarita?

The water softener ban in Santa Clarita dates back over 15 years ago through a series of legislations. The main goal of the water softener ban was to reduce the amount of saline that ended up in the Santa Clara River.

The river runs from the San Gabriel Mountains and ends at the Pacific Ocean, with plenty of natural habitats. Water softeners release wastewater with heavy solutions of salt that can end up in the river and damage surrounding habitats.

Wastewater is treated in the area’s sewage system. Installing a desalination plant to filter out the sodium can cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Those large-scale projects rely on funding through taxpayer money which residents would have covered.

Instead of making residents pay, community leaders found an alternative. Here’s a list of the legislation passed against salt-based water softeners.

• Automatic Water Softener Ordinance: The communities that make up the Santa Clarita Valley, including the city of Santa Clarita, banned automatic water softeners as of March 27, 2003.
• Santa Clara River Chloride Reduction Ordinance of 2008: This ordinance was included in the ballot under Measure S and required the removal of all residential water softeners by June 30, 2009. Santa Clarita residents voted in favor of the bill on November 2008.
• Assembly Bill No. 1366: This state assembly bill gave communities the power to enact and enforce a water softener ban. It also has requirements, such as cities offering a rebate and buyback program for residential water softeners.

Through the community’s efforts, over 8,000 water softeners have been removed from residential homes. Any Santa Clarita Valley homeowner who installs a water softener can be fined up to $1,000.

Besides Santa Clarita, the ban extends to all communities within the Santa Clarita Valley, such as:

• Saugus
• Valencia
• Newhall
• Castaic
• Canyon Country
• Stevenson Ranch
• Fair Oaks Ranch
• Bouquet Canyon
• Mint Canyon
• Forrest Park

If residents were installing water softeners, would the water quality be bad? Not necessarily; let’s learn more about it in the next section.

What Is the Water Quality in Santa Clarita?

The water in the Santa Clarita Valley is safe for residents to drink, according to the Santa Clarita Valley Water. The region publishes an annual report on water quality to assure its residents that it is safe for consumption. Santa Clarita Valley Water is required by law to provide information to the public, and the 2022 Consumer Confidence Report is available for reading.

Even though it’s safe to drink, the region is affected by hard water. Hard water occurs when water naturally absorbs minerals from the groundwater supply.

Magnesium and calcium are the minerals responsible for hard water.

Hard water has no adverse health effects when drunk but does cause other concerns, such as:

• Scale Buildup
• Water stains on kitchenware and utensils
• Leaves a white, chalky residue on the surface of fixtures and appliances
• May dry out the skin
• Can cause hair to become brittle
• Produce soap scum
• Causes clothes in the washer to become rigid

Hard water doesn’t just affect the Santa Clarita Valley; it is found all over southern California. But if water softeners are banned, what can residents use to combat hard water in Santa Clarita?

What Are the Alternatives to Water Softeners?

Water conditioners are the best alternative for areas where water softeners are prohibited. Both water treatment systems target hard water but have key differences in the way they achieve its goal.

Water conditioners do not require salt to handle hard water. The lack of salt makes them excellent choices for areas where water softeners are banned.
There are a few types of water conditioning systems, but the two most common ones are:

Template-assisted crystallization (TAC): Water conditioners using TAC technology use a single tank containing resin beads. The resin beads crystalize the magnesium and calcium together, which prevents them from sticking to surfaces.

Low-level frequencies: Calcium and magnesium minerals attach to surfaces causing scale buildup and residue. Low-level frequency water conditioners, like Flow Tech, disrupt the minerals causing them to stick to each other instead of surfaces. The end result neutralizes hard water.

Both of these types of water conditioners take up less space than water softeners. Check out this article for a more in-depth comparison between water softeners and Flow-Tech.

Is a Water Softener Ideal for My Home in Santa Clarita?

If you live or are planning to move to Santa Clarita, it’s important to note that water softeners are prohibited in the area. Although Santa Clarita deals with hard water, there are other alternatives for dealing with it.

It helps to stay on top of rules and regulations, so you don’t end up with hefty fines. Every city has its own laws for homeowners on various things, including water softeners.

At Monkey Wrench Plumbing, Heating & Air, we stay informed about the latest water filtration laws. Our insider knowledge helps give homeowners peace of mind with any of the water filtration installations we do.

Water softeners are popular because they produce soft water with plenty of benefits you can learn more about. If you have any questions regarding water softeners, contact our customer service line with the buttons below, or set up an appointment with our easy-to-use online scheduler.