As part of long-term efforts aimed at helping California weather the current and future droughts, state officials recently released stricter water-saving standards for all new sinks and toilets.
The mandate would, according to the California Energy Commission, save 10 billion gallons of drinking water next year alone. By 2039, when experts predict the vast majority of current fixtures are replaced by ones meeting the new standard, the figure climbs more than tenfold to 105 billion gallons.
That’s roughly three times the amount of water used in San Francisco in a whole year. The new standards apply to all sinks and toilets sold in California starting Jan. 1 of next year. Toilets will be limited to just over one and a quarter gallons per flush, down from an earlier limit of 1.6 gallons. If that doesn’t seem like much, there are 30 million toilets in California, according to officials.
The gains are more impressive over time. When the state faced severe water shortages in the 1970s, most toilets used six to seven gallons per flush. Engineering and design advances by manufacturers over the years have made ultra-low flow fixtures more reliable and just as functional as older models.
State Energy Commissioner Andrew McAllister said the new standards won’t be a financial burden on consumers.
“Efficient water appliances cost roughly the same amount as existing, less efficient models. This means consumers will start saving money and water as soon as the more efficient devices are installed. Reducing water also saves energy, because it takes energy to make water hot and for that hot water to run through faucets.”
The new standard for urinals cuts the amount of water per flush from half a gallon to a pint.
Flow rates for new bathroom sink faucets will be slashed nearly in half to 1.2 gallons per minute, and for kitchen sinks by nearly 20 percent to 1.8 gallons per minute.
