High-efficiency Toilets Approved by Schwarzenegger; California Leads Nation with Major Step Forward in Water Conservation

SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) today announced Governor Schwarzenegger has signed AB 715, a bill that would require all new construction in California to use more efficient toilets and urinals.  The bill is the first of its kind in the nation and will help meet the needs of the estimated 500,000 new residents in California each year. The new requirements would yield savings of more than 8 billion gallons of water by the tenth year of implementation—surpassing the total amount of bottled water consumed by Americans in all of 2005. 

“With statewide snow levels 71% below normal this year, the effects of climate change are not a concept of the future, they’re a reality of today,” said Assemblymember Laird.  “Water conservation is the quickest, cheapest way to manage our water supply and address the impact of population growth and global warming.  Thanks to Governor Schwarzenegger’s approval, California can now take advantage of high-efficiency toilet technology that is already on the market, helping us save billions of gallons of water and establishing California as the national leader in water conservation.”

AB 715 would set new water flush volume standards by making use of existing high-efficiency toilet technology, including 111 toilet models produced by 24 manufacturers and 34 models of urinals produced by nine manufacturers.  All new homes, schools, office buildings and other construction would be required to utilize high-efficiency toilets.  Beginning in 2010 the legislation will require 50% of all toilets sold in California to meet the new flush standards, ramping up to 100% in 2014.  The bill also will allow the installation of waterless urinals in California.

Water conservation is considered a key strategy in addressing global warming because the movement of water is the single greatest consumer of electricity in California, the generation of which creates greenhouse gas emissions.  The Pacific Institute estimates 19% of California’s electricity is consumed by water systems as water is pumped over hundreds of miles in California, treated, pressurized, flushed and eventually discharged to the ocean.

The average Californian uses an estimated 70 to 80 gallons of water a day indoors.  Toilets account for approximately one-third of all residential indoor use, more than any other indoor source of water.