Through Pleasant Springs Sanitary District’s Salt Savers pilot program, residents could receive a rebate for assessments and improvements made to their water softener by a trained professional. If possible, the technician would optimize the water softener to use the lowest possible amount of salt. If a water softener was deemed too old or inefficient by the technician, a rebate on a replacement unit was available. These rebates were funded by the District and issued by Pleasant Springs Sanitary District (PSSD) for eligible softener services completed through July 31, 2022.
The PSSD pilot programs is now complete and the District is evaluating the outcomes of the pilot to determine the effectiveness of reducing salt to the sewer.
Eligibility
Residents were eligible for the program if all the following statements were true:
- You have an existing water softener in your home.
- You live in the PSSD and are connected to the District’s sewer system through the sanitary district. Properties on septic systems were not eligible to participate. If you’re unsure of your eligibility, search for your address on this map.
- Your softener service was performed by a trained service provider who submitted a report documenting the service to PSSD staff.
Project period
This pilot launched in July 2021 and was active to PSSD residents for services completed through July 31, 2022.
How it Worked
- Gather as much information as possible about the condition of your water softener, including its age and brand. It was OK if you couldn’t find all the history or details, but having general information about your softener helped service providers determine its condition. You could also complete the home softener evaluation developed by the District to get an idea of whether your softener would qualify for an optimization or replacement.
- Call a trained service provider on this list to request service. Some providers offered remote evaluations using photos or a video call; providers offering this service were indicated on the list.
- The service provider would make recommendations to improve your softener to use less salt. Depending on the state of your softener, the provider would either optimize your softener to run more efficiently or recommend the replacement of an inefficient softener with a more efficient unit.
- After the service, the PSSD would receive a report from the provider documenting the service. If the report was complete and met eligibility requirements, you would have received a rebate depending on the type of service. Rebates were as follows:
- $75 off an evaluation and optional optimization
- $200 off the installation of a new, efficient softener or another water-conditioning unit if it was replacing an identified inefficient unit. The service provider must identify your old softener as needing replacement to have been eligible for this rebate. To receive the rebate, a new softener must have met an efficiency of at least 4,000 grains per pound.
