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FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | SEPTEMBER 2023 29 We can usually tell when companies blanket the community with advertisements for home-improvement services and products. We see a spike in Property Improvement Applications. We experience this when security door companies, alarm companies, and generator sales companies target Four Seasons homeowners. The latest craze seems to be water softening. Here is some information that may be useful to any homeowner considering purchasing water softening and or conditioning services. There is a big difference between water softening and water conditioning. Water softening is used to remove high levels of dissolved minerals from water. These are usually calcium and magnesium that naturally attach to various ions as water filters through the ground. This is what you see as scale build up on bathroom and kitchen surfaces including shower doors. Over time, scale can diminish the efficacy of dishwashers, water heaters, and washing machines. Areas with hard water – such as Beaumont – do not have effective natural water softening. Various companies have developed systems to pass water through a tank of ion charged pellets that attract magnesium and calcium thus reducing the amount of them in the water. Traditional systems use salt water to flush the pellets and send the salt water and the calcium and magnesium into the sewer or storm drains. Water conditioning does not eliminate hard water nor hard water deposits. Water conditioning only removes chlorine, chloramines, and volatile organic compounds. These items may cause your water to taste or smell bad. Many water treatment companies claim that their water conditioning reduces hard water deposits. Any company that claims their system softens water has not conducted scientific studies to prove these claims. They rely on testimonials from their customers. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as well as the California State Water Resources Board, have both conducted scientific studies and determined that "a salt-free softener does not exist." Beaumont City code 8.46 prohibits discharging salt water into the sewer system. The CA Clean Water Act prohibits discharging soft water regeneration waste into storm-water drains. There is an option for people who want soft water. A few companies in Beaumont will install a salt water softener as well as one or more tanks that capture the salt water created during regeneration. They pick up the full tanks and exchange them for empty tanks. The full tanks are trucked to a facility that can remove the salt and reprocess the water. The frequency of tank exchange is determined by how much water is used. Traditional water softeners regenerate every few days. The more frequently the system regenerates, the better the system works. When a system is used that exchanges tanks rather than discharges the salt water on site, the effectiveness of the system can be severely reduced. Each installations requires that the system be located so that it is not visible from the common area or streets. In some situations, this may require additional plumbing or placing the system inside a garage. In addition to our approval, all water softener installations require a Beaumont City permit. As always be wary of any contractor, sales person, or installer who states that no permit is required or that no one will ever know if they flush the water into the drain. You can be fined for flushing salt water into the sewer or storm drains – regardless of who installed the system. ~ Steve Cooley, (801) 815- 5302, cooleyaudit@gmail.com Architectural Review Committee Landscape Committee We are looking for new members. Every committee needs new blood to give new ideas and input on new concepts. So if you're interested, there are two simple steps: 1. Join us on a walk. The walks are done every Friday at 7 am during the hotter months and 8 am during the cooler months. Each week, we explore a different neighborhood to see what needs to be repaired or fixed (e.g., plant replacement, new additions, new redesigns). 2. Attend a Landscape Committee meeting on the third Tuesday of each month at 1 pm. Then listen to the discussion and learn how we draw up proposals. If you are interested, please contact Committee Chairman Kirk Fyermuth at kafreyer@frontier.com. ~ Nancy Justice

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