Pass: 55,502 / 64.02% Yes votes ...... 31,192 / 35.98% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Impartial Analysis from Raymond G. Fortner, Jr. County Counsel

Approval of Measure S would authorize the adoption of an ordinance that requires the removal of, and provides a compensation program for, all residential self-regenerating water softeners that discharge brine (“Water Softeners”) into the Community Sewer System (“Sewer”) within the service area of the Santa Clarita Valley Sanitation District of Los Angeles County (“District”).

The purpose of the ordinance is to limit the discharge of chlorides to the Santa Clara River improving the potential for the District to comply with the requirements of the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, and is intended to reduce the expenditure of public funds and mitigate rate increases by lessening the need for new capital facilities.

Upon enactment, the ordinance would require every person who has a Water Softener installed in a residence that discharges into the Sewer to remove and dispose of the Water Softener within 180 days after the effective date of the ordinance.

The Chief Engineer and Manager of the District shall administer and enforce the ordinance by 1) performing public outreach, 2) withholding administrative enforcement actions until after the 180 days after the effective date of the ordinance, 3) monitoring flows within the Sewer to determine the locations of Water Softeners, and/or 4) conducting inspections of any residences that discharge to the Sewer.

On or after the effective date of the ordinance, the District will continue a program compensating owners of Water Softeners within its service area for 75% of the reasonable value of, and the reasonable cost of removal and disposal of, the Water Softeners.

The Chief Engineer may issue a Notice of Violation to any person who fails to remove a Water Softener, which will allow the person 60 days to correct the violation and to remove and dispose of the Water Softener. Any person in violation after the passage of 60 days after the Notice of Violation shall pay an administrative fine to the District of one thousand dollars ($1,000). Within 30 days of receiving the Notice of Violation, a person may request a hearing and review by a hearing officer which shall be held within 30 days. The hearing officer may dismiss the violation, or order the imposition of an administrative fine and removal of the Water Softener. Any person who continues in violation after the final administrative order is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000), or imprisonment not to exceed 30 days or both. The owner of a Water Softener subject to administrative enforcement may elect to have the District remove it from the residence. The owner retains the right to compensation for 75% of the reasonable value of the Water Softener.

The ordinance becomes effective 30 days from the final passage by the voters but no earlier than January 1, 2009.

This measure requires a majority vote of the qualified votes cast in the election held in the service area of the District for passage.

District Map

Chloride in Santa Clarita