Water softener ban

I've been hearing that water softeners are on the way out. Here's a solid example:

In an effort to reduce salty waste in the Santa Clara River, the Santa Clarita Valley Sanitation District will give residents 100 percent of the value of their water softeners and will provide licensed plumbers to remove and dispose of the systems. .... Installing salt- or potassium-based water softeners has been illegal locally since March 2003, when it was determined they produced a salty waste that, when discharged into the Santa Clara River, damaged crops downstream.