San Juan Bautista, California

San Juan Bautista’s rule is a city sewer / POTW ordinance, not a statewide salt-softener ban. Ordinance No. 2021-06 (introduced March 16, 2021; adopted April 20, 2021) added Section 35 to Title 5. The code reviser later numbered it Chapter 5-36 Water Softeners so it would not collide with another Chapter 5-35. Ask Public Works or the agency on the sewer bill about the address.

§ 5-36-040 (PDF § 5-35-040): no person shall install or in any manner assist in installing a residential brine discharging water softening or conditioning appliance that discharges into the POTW, into a private or community sewer tributary to the POTW, or to land within the city. Violation is a fine not to exceed $1,000 and a public nuisance. § 5-36-060 (PDF § 5-35-060): owners must remove existing self-regenerating units that discharge to the POTW on or about the date the West Hills potable water supply is connected, installed, and fully functional; the city notifies residents of that date; tenants must notify owners. Findings (Q) say residents may still soften or condition with appliances that do not discharge brine to the POTW, and name portable-exchange tanks regenerated off-site outside the city. § 5-36-080 lets the City Manager grant a medical exemption only if (A) the application is approved, (B) a physician verifies in writing a medical need for soft water, and (C) finances preclude a non-brine alternative; the exemption may be rescinded with 60 days’ notice. We do not invent another exception.

The findings cite Central Coast Regional Board Order R3-2009-0019 / NPDES CA0047902, EPA Administrative Order on Consent Docket CWA-309(a)-20-007 (August 18, 2020), and Central Coast Resolution R3-2011-0215 (December 1, 2011) finding residential self-regenerating softeners a significant controllable salt source in San Benito County. Those are the drivers in the findings. The ban itself is the city ordinance.

Drinking water is the City of San Juan Bautista Water System, PWS CA3510002, groundwater wells 1, 5, and 6 near the south end of the city (2024 Consumer Confidence Report, report date June 6, 2025). Hardness 397 mg/L as CaCO3 (range 377–417), sampled 2023. Residual chlorine 0.95 mg/L (range 0.3–1.6), monthly field samples. Nitrate as N 1.4 mg/L (range <0.1–2.7), MCL 10, 2024. Arsenic 1.6 µg/L (range <1–2.1), MCL 10, 2023. Total chromium 2.1 µg/L (range 1.9–2.3), MCL 50, 2023. Chloride 79.4 mg/L (range 57.8–101), 2023. TDS 603 mg/L (range 588–618), 2023. Sodium 69 mg/L (range 53–85), 2023. Iron: raw quarterly 1403 µg/L (1160–1950), treated monthly 31 µg/L (<30–39), secondary MCL 300. Manganese: raw quarterly 248 µg/L (239–258), treated monthly <15, secondary MCL 50. TTHMs 24.5 µg/L (<1–25) sampled August 22, 2024; HAA5 <6. The 2024 CCR does not print a hexavalent chromium row or a PFAS row. This file does not invent either. Kitchen shopping stays the Cloud RO / Waterdrop path already used on other cities if a listing is why you are looking.