Let’s talk toilets, shall we? You know you want to.
Or maybe you don’t know. In the deluge of water-saving rules that followed Gov. Jerry Brown’s historic statewide mandatory water reduction measures in April, perhaps you missed this one. Beginning in January 2016, all toilets, faucets and urinals sold in California will have to meet new low-flow efficiency standards set by the California Energy Commission.
Under the new rules — which will be the toughest in the country — toilets cannot use more than 1.28 gallons per flush. Federal standards are 1.6 gallons per flush. Residential bathroom faucets cannot exceed a 1.2 gallons-per-minute flow rate. Urinals can use no more than 0.125 gallons per flush, and kitchen faucets must use just 1.8 gallons per minute. Beginning next year, all plumbing fixtures sold in California must meet these standards.
This does not mean the state will be ripping your current toilet out by its porcelain roots. The new rules do not apply until you go out and buy new fixtures. But given how much you can save, you might want to take the plunge sooner than you planned. Your toilet may not be the prettiest fixture in your house, but if could be one of the thriftiest.
“Toilets are the largest (indoor) user of water, and there are much more efficient devices available and have been available for a long time,” said Heather Cooley, director of water programs for the Pacific Institute, an Oakland-based think tank focused on water issues. “The user doesn’t experience any difference in service. They are still able to flush their toilet. It’s not something that represents a lifestyle change, but it is the most basic water-efficiency improvement you can make.”
How much water are we talking about? According to the Energy Commission, California has more than 45 million faucets, 30 million toilets and 1 million urinals. Together, they consume 443 billion gallons of water per year. The new standards would save 105.6 billion gallons per year. So while indoor water use is not the drain that our outdoor irrigation is, all those flushes add up to a flood of resources.
“We are not mandating that everybody change out their devices. We are mandating that the only devices that can be for sale in California are compliant devices. Nobody is going into anybody’s houses and taking their toilets,” said Andrew McAllister, commissioner with the California Energy Commission.
“We can only pass regulations that have a clear demonstration of cost effectiveness, and the consumer is actually better off installing one of these devices than a more wasteful device. The money they save more than offsets the cost of the thing.”
The savings can start with rebates. Currently, the SoCal WaterSmart program offers rebates on high-efficiency toilets starting at $100. Funding is limited, and you have to qualify. Go to
The California Energy Commission is also working on a rebate plan to go with the new standards. Details should be available within the next few months.
If you want to get a jump on the new rules, you will have your best luck on the toilet front. Thanks to standards enacted in 2006, toilets receiving the Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense stamp of approval already meet California’s upcoming 1.28 gallons per flush requirements. WaterSense bathroom faucets use a maximum of 1.5 gallons per minute, so getting your hands on the new 1.2 gallons per minute models could be trickier.
“There are compliant faucets in the marketplace, and the industry is working hard to broaden the selection and get those on the shelves,” McAllister said. “Industry and retailers know what the deadline is, and they are working toward it.”
Speaking of compliance, what about the old trick of putting a brick in your toilet tank? There was a time when that was the height of water-saving technology. That time is not now.
“Back in the day, some cities had residential energy conservation ordinances that required people to put one in, but I wouldn’t recommend that,” McAllister said. “It would save a little bit of water, but it could give rise to problems.”
But once you get your new, brick-free low-flow toilet in place, will it work? Since the U.S. Energy Policy Act of 1992 mandated that toilets use 1.6 gallons of water per flush (from an average of 3.5 gallons), low-flush toilets have had a well-deserved reputation for wimpiness. With many low-flow toilets, one flush rarely does the job, which leads to multiple flushes which leads to questions about how much water are we really saving anyway?
“When the ultra low-flow standards were first implemented, there were problems with the initial models,” the Pacific Institute’s Cooley said of those early designs, which used less water but made no other technological tweaks to send waste on its merry way.
Recently, the Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors Association took California’s increasingly tight water standards to task for causing some plumbing and sewage problems, including clogs in sewer mains and uric acid crystallization in urinals. The association wants residents to focus on more efficient outdoor watering and conservation measures like rainwater catchment and greywater technologies.
Low-flow supporters say that toilet technology has improved since the olden days. And in addition to requiring toilets consume no more than 1.28 gallons per flush, the new California standards require “a minimum waste extraction score of no fewer than 350 grams.” Let’s just assume that’s a good thing.
“Now (low-flow toilets) operate very well,” Cooley said. “Look for the WaterSense label. Not only do they look at flow rate, but their toilets have to perform well. That is an easy way to find a toilet that is efficient and effective.”
So the good news about the new energy efficient standards is that they should help you save water, thus saving you money and saving you energy. Which should help you save more money. The even better news? The new rules do not apply to showers. Not yet, anyway.
“The Energy Commission has a waiting list of device categories, and we are moving forward one by one to develop minimum standards for them,” Commissioner McAllister said. “Shower heads are in the queue.”
source: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/jun/26/california-drought-new-toilet-rules/
by Karla Peterson
http://www.thisoldtoilet.com
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