This browser does not support the Video element.
Waukesha residents urged to swap out water softeners
Waukesha residents are urged to swap out water softeners. FOX6's Bret Lemoine explains.
WAUKESHA, Wis. - Waukesha is giving homeowners money to get rid of something in their basement.
After the switch to Lake Michigan drinking water in fall 2023, some people may not want their water softener anymore. Those water softeners are now causing a problem.
The goal is to reduce the amount of salt that goes back into our waterways.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
And since Waukesha is now using Lake Michigan drinking water, there are tighter restrictions that will soon be in place.
When Waukesha switched over to Lake Michigan drinking water, it came with a catch. Director of Public Works Alex Damien said Waukesha set a January goal for homeowners to either get rid of their water softeners or have them optimized to reduce salt output.
"Our permit level has been reduced greatly for the level of chloride we’re allowed to discharge into the river," Damien said. "We understand people may want to keep their water softeners. So, optimize your softeners."
Damien estimates there are between 10,000-12,000 water softeners in the city that haven’t been optimized. At this pace, he said the city won’t have enough chloride reduction to meet the Department of Natural Resources’s November 2026 limit.
At Waukesha's Clean Water Plant, manager Zach Eisner said there’s been some progress since the water diversion. But the one thing they can’t remove before returning water to the Fox and Root rivers is chloride.
"A lot of it is from people removing their water softeners since Lake Michigan has about a 1/3 of the hardness of the groundwater we used to use," Eisner said. "Some studies have shown that it can affect invertebrates and anything in the streams."
On Tuesday, Waukesha's City Council approved a rebate program that will reimburse homeowners $200 to cover costs associated with having their water softener removed.
If levels are not reached by the deadline, the DNR could fine the city.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android
"We’re inching our way down there but we’re just not to that level where we need to be yet," Damien said.
If you already got rid of your water softener, Damien said you could still be eligible for the rebate if you have paperwork to prove it. The $200 covers about half the total cost.
If you opt to keep your softener, local water softener companies can come to your home to make adjustments.
Damien said those companies also share with the city which households have made changes.