News

Dishes Still Dirty? It’s Not the Water
Detergent makers remove grime-fighting compound to protect the environment.

LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. (March 14, 2011) - When MNWD customers open their dishwashers these days, their plates and glasses may not look quite as clean as they used to. The water the District serves our customers hasn’t changed, but the detergent you use to wash those dishes has.

Last summer, with little fanfare, detergent makers across the country reworked their formulas to remove phosphates, which were thought by some to harm the environment. Phosphates strip food and grease from dishes, and also prevent food from getting reattached during the wash. With the new phosphate-free detergents, customers must now wash or rinse their dishes before they put them in the dishwasher, which unfortunately uses more water.

MNWD recommends our customers be efficient with this added water use. Fill a shallow basin with soapy water instead of letting the water flow, and with a little extra elbow grease, those dishes should sparkle just like before.

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