JUNE 25, 2014

Water softener rebate details available

A unique, two-year pilot program is set to begin in Scottsdale, offering residents a rebate for removing or upgrading their water softening devices.

Details on how the upcoming water softening rebate program will work are now available at www.scottsdaleaz.gov/water/unsalted

Rebate applications will be available starting at 8 a.m. July 1.

Understanding all the steps required to qualify and receive a rebate will ensure rebate applications are processed as quickly as possible.

The City Council approved the pilot program in March. The three different rebates offered are:

A one-time $50 rebate to the first 300 water customers each year who replace their existing softener with a high efficiency softener
A one-time $100 rebate to the first 100 approved applicants each year who remove an existing self-generating salt-using water softener and subscribe to a portable exchange service
A $250 rebate to the first 200 customers who remove their water softener. ($125 initially and $125 issued after one year)

Conventional water softeners remove the natural hardness of water in Scottsdale but also increase the amount of salt discharged into the city’s sewer system. The increased salt, or salinity, has negative impacts on the environment and adds significant costs to wastewater treatment to remove it.

High levels of salinity in wastewater also reduce the quality of reclaimed water which is used extensively in Scottsdale for irrigation and recharge.

“This program is a positive first step to educate our residents about the environmental impact of salinity in our reusable wastewater and to help motivate them to change or eliminate water softeners that add salt to our most precious resource,” said Mayor W.J. “Jim” Lane.

Step-by-step instructions, frequently asked questions and other important information are available at www.scottsdaleaz.gov/water/unsalted.