VISTA, Calif. — As California copes with its fourth year of drought conditions, state regulators have reviewed water efficiency standards for faucets, toilets and urinals, according to a press release.
Gov. Jerry Brown signed the regulations into law, and they will go into effect in January 2016, noted the release.
According to the release, the new rules include:
- Urinals can flush no more than 1/8 gallon of water per flush. While some urinals now flush about a ½ gallon of water per flush, these are the exception. Most urinals use about 1 gallon of water or more per flush.
- Faucets must be adjusted so that they use no more than 1.2 gallons of water per minute in homes and 1.8 gallons of water per minute in commercial facilities. Most traditional faucets use about 2.2 gallons of water per minute.
- Toilets can use no more than 1.28 gallons of water per flush. The national regulated amount is 1.6 gallons per flush, but just like urinals, many toilets flush two, three or more gallons of water per flush.
“We have seen the market four waterless urinals fluctuate over the decades,” said Klaus Reichardt, founder and CEO of Waterless Co. Inc., in the release. “But because of what is happening in California and other western states, there is definitely an increase in interest in no-water urinals throughout North America.”
