Salt Savers Program

Keeping salt out of our local waters, one water softener at a time

Many water softeners in the District’s service area are outdated or are not set up to run at peak efficiency. That’s a problem because all of the salt that goes into water softeners ends up at the wastewater treatment plant, and eventually in local freshwater streams. Excessive chloride, a component of salt, can threaten freshwater wildlife.

The aim of the Salt Savers pilot program was to improve water softener efficiency, with the goal of reducing chloride entering the sewer system. We did this by equipping service providers with the knowledge and resources needed to increase the efficiency of home water softeners and identify softeners that are prime candidates for replacement. To encourage homeowners to participate, the District funded discounts and rebates on services and equipment that result in reduced salt to the sewer system.

This program was a pilot in three communities: Village of McFarland, Town of Dunn, and Pleasant Springs Sanitary District. The pilot is now complete and the District is evaluating the outcomes of the pilots to determine effectiveness of reducing salt to the sewer.

View a 2023 white paper on the Household Water Softener Incentive Pilot Program.

To learn about options for reducing salt, visit our Chloride Reduction for Residents page.