A California bill opponents say would ban water softeners in the Golden State passed out of a Senate committee Jul. 8 by an 8-to-5 party-line vote and it appears, at deadline, that a veto by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger may be the only way the bill will be scrapped.
    AB 2207, authored by Reps. John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, and Mike Feuer, D-West Hollywood, is favored by cities, water control districts, water reuse districts and the state’s agricultural industry, who say water softeners contribute to elevated levels of salinity in the ground.
    Opponents, including the Water Quality Association of Lisle, Ill., and the Pacific Water Quality Association, say the bill would, “overturn decades of efforts that have been looking at sensible solutions to the issue of salinity.” A WQA spokesman said the bill has not, at deadline, appeared on the Senate’s agenda for action.
    “Those in the industry and homeowners need to make sure the governor knows how damaging this law would be,” said WQA executive director Peter Censky. “This drastic bill would do very little good for the environment and cause a lot of problems for homeowners throughout California.”
    The WQA is urging its members to contact Gov. Schwarzenegger to urge him to veto the bill. Visit www.wqa.org for more information.