How does chloride end up in the Santa Clara River?
After water is used for washing dishes, showering, laundering, flushing toilets, and other uses in the Santa Clarita area, the wastewater goes to the sewer. From there it flows to either the Saugus or Valencia Water Reclamation Plant for treatment. These treatment plants are owned and operated by the Santa Clarita Valley Sanitation District (Sanitation District), and they discharge wastewater into the Santa Clara River after it has been treated. While the treatment plants remove many impurities and pollutants from wastewater, they are not designed to remove chloride. The chloride in wastewater goes through the treatment plants and is discharged to the Santa Clara River.
