The installation of new brine discharging water softeners is prohibited in the City of Fillmore and illegal softener owners are subject to a $1,000 fine. Brine discharging water softeners must be installed under a building permit and must have been installed prior to June 11, 2004 to be legal. Existing legal brine discharging softeners that require removal from the home for repair cannot be legally replaced or reinstalled. Brine discharging water softeners are costing City of Fillmore sewer rate payers thousands of dollars annually and will cost more in the future. Brine discharging water softeners drain salt brine into the sewer system raising salt levels beyond the limits established by the State. The city sewer rate payers jointly pay $3,000 per day for each excess salt violation. And they will eventually have to pay about $35 per month more on their water bill for municipal water softening unless the brine discharging water softeners are removed from the City.

All brine discharging water softeners are prohibited in Commercial and Industrial uses inside the City of Fillmore as well. Water softening provided with exchange tanks such as Harris or Rayne are acceptable and do not discharge salt brine to the sewer. Current State law prohibits the city from requiring the removal of existing residential brine discharging water softeners but does allow the prohibition of the installation of any new brine discharging water softeners after June 11, 2004. Voluntary removal of existing brine discharging water softeners will save sewer rate payers thousands of dollars per year.