Water Softener in Chula Vista, CA

Signs a Chula Vista home could use a softener

• Aerators and showerheads that clog with white flakes
• A chalky film on shower glass that comes back days after scrubbing
• Ticking or rumbling from the water heater while it fires
• Towels that dry stiff and soap that never seems to rinse away
• An existing softener that still goes through salt but no longer stops spotting

Your water depends on which side of the city you're on

Chula Vista is split between two agencies. Sweetwater Authority covers the western and central parts of the city and blends Sweetwater River water held in Sweetwater Reservoir, deep wells in National City, brackish wells in Chula Vista that it runs through reverse osmosis, and imported Colorado River or State Water Project water. Otay Water District covers the eastern part of the city and buys treated and desalinated water through the San Diego County Water Authority, plus treated water from Helix Water District.

Sweetwater's water quality report puts total hardness at 94 to 300 ppm as calcium carbonate, averaging 196. That is a wide band, so programming a valve from the average can leave you under-softened on a day the blend runs harder. We don't have a verified Otay hardness figure, so owners in the eastern neighborhoods should check Otay's current report or test at the kitchen faucet.

Sweetwater disinfects with chloramines. Over the years that can wear on softener resin and rubber seals, which is why some owners put a carbon stage in front of the softener. With a median build year around 1986, many Chula Vista houses have the main entering near the garage, the usual spot for the equipment.

What changes the price

• Measured hardness and the number of people in the house, which set resin capacity
• Whether a loop is already stubbed out or the main has to be cut and a bypass added
• Distance from the softener to a drain with a proper air gap for the brine line
• An outlet near the control valve
• Optional carbon filtration or a drinking water tap
• Removing and hauling off an old unit

What happens when you call

You'll be connected with an independent plumber who works in Chula Vista. Look at your water bill first so you can say whether Sweetwater or Otay serves you, and mention whether there's an old softener in place. The city's Development Services Department requires plumbing permits for water piping work, so if the job means cutting a new loop into the main, the plumber can sort out the permit question before starting. A break on the utility side of the meter goes to Sweetwater at (619) 420-1413, which is also its after-hours line.