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Summary: 1/1/03 - California Governor signed a law authorizing  local agencies to regulate the use and availability of self-regenerative water softening appliances that discharge salt to the community sewer system.

SACRAMENTO, CA 1/1/03 Assembly Bill 334, which could affect restrictions on residential water softening and has been the subject of much controversy in California during the last several months, has been signed into law by Gov. Gray Davis (D-CA).

The governor's office did not publicize the signing to a great extent - rather, it released a few short sentences to the public:

"AB 334 by Assembly member Jackie Goldberg (D-Los Angeles) authorizes a local agency to regulate the use and availability of self-regenerative water softening appliances that discharge to the community sewer system," the news release said.

The bill had been sitting idle since its July 21 certification following approval by the California Senate on July 17 by a 22 to 13 vote.

AB 334 will now become law effective Jan. 1 2004.

As previously reported, it lays a foundation for California communities to ban or restrict water softeners because of salinity issues. The provisions of AB 334 which affect the
previous industry effort, SB 1006, will be the law of the land in California starting next year.

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