Automatic water softeners—the kind that use rock salt or potassium chloride pellets—are banned in the Santa Clarita Valley. Automatic water softeners discharge a salty waste into the sewer system that is treated by a process that does not remove salt, therefore, the salty waste is released into the Santa Clara River. Too much salt in the river may potentially harm downstream agricultural crops.

The Sanitation District's goal is to reduce salt in an environmentally friendly, cost-effective, and timely manner. Measure S, approved by voters on November 4, 2008, enacted the Santa Clara River Chloride Reduction Ordinance of 2008. The Santa Clara River Chloride Reduction Ordinance of 2008 required the removal of all residential automatic water softeners by June 30, 2009. Residents that still have automatic water softeners should click the link below for more information on the Automatic Water Softener Rebate Program.