May 11, 2006

by Assemblymember John Laird (D-Santa Cruz)

With climate change potentially threatening California’s water supply, and with millions more Californians expected in coming years, supplying water to residents across the state is a major challenge. The only source of additional water that works for every part of California is conservation.

Santa Cruz County has a statewide reputation for vision and leadership on water conservation, partly due to its environmental orientation and partly due to the fact that the county relies 100% on local sources for its water supply.

This year I am carrying two bills that move California forward in water conservation. The first is AB 1881, which would implement the consensus recommendations of a statewide landscape water conservation task force established by a bill I authored in 2004.

The second is AB 2496, which would result in annual water savings of 8 billion gallons statewide—more than America’s total consumption of bottled water in 2005.

AB 2496, which passed two Assembly policy committees and will be voted on this week on the Assembly floor, sets new standards for toilets by making use of existing high-efficiency technology. All newly constructed homes, schools and office buildings would be required to use high-efficiency toilets starting in 2008. And starting in 2009, every toilet sold in California would have to meet the new standards.

Californians use an average of 70-80 gallons of water indoors per day, of which toilets account for one third—more than any other indoor source. Not surprisingly, users in the Santa Cruz City Water Department system have driven down consumption to just 60 gallons per day.

The standards I’ve proposed will likely influence manufacturers, and therefore could be a standard picked up by other states. So I am pleased several manufacturers are supporting my bill, including industry giant American Standard. Here’s what company official Peter DeMarco is saying about AB 2496:

“This is common sense legislation. High-efficiency toilets are already being sold, with many more models on the way. These high-efficiency models are as effective as traditional devices and incorporate proven technologies to get the job done while conserving an additional 20 percent in terms of water consumption.”

American Standard joins other organizations you might expect to support AB 2496, including the California State Pipe Trades Council (the bill’s sponsor), the California Planning and Conservation League, the Sierra Club and the California Urban Water Conservation Council.

For more about water conservation, check out these Web sites: www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/wt/wtcon, www.soquelcreekwater.com/Cons_Main.htm or www.h2ouse.org. For more about AB 2496 and AB 1881, please visit www.assembly.ca.gov/laird.