SF3519

Purpose of the Bill

The bill aims to reduce environmental impact by replacing less efficient water softeners with more efficient models. It establishes a rebate program to incentivize property owners to upgrade from time-based ion exchange water softeners to demand-based models.

Main Provisions

• Rebate Program Establishment: The Pollution Control Agency commissioner will develop a rebate program to provide financial incentives for eligible water softener replacements.
• Eligibility Criteria: To qualify for a $200 rebate, the water softener must:
  1. Replace a time-based system with a demand-based system.
  2. Reduce water hardness from over 10 US grains per gallon to under one US grain per gallon.
  3. Have a salt efficiency exceeding 3500 grains per pound of salt.
  4. Be installed by a licensed contractor between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2027.
• Application Requirements: Rebate applications must include:
  1. Details on the replaced and installed equipment and its programming.
  2. An estimate of the annual salt use for the new equipment.
  3. Signatures from both the property owner or lessee and the contractor.
• Contractor Limitation: A contractor can only sign up to 30 rebate applications for the duration of the program.

Significant Changes

This bill introduces a financial incentive to encourage more households and businesses to adopt demand-based water softeners, promoting water conservation and efficiency. This marks a legislative effort to address environmental concerns related to inefficient water and salt usage.

Relevant Terms

• Rebate
• Demand-based ion exchange water softener
• Time-based ion exchange water softener
• Salt efficiency
• Pollution Control Agency
• Environmental impact