California Low-Flow Legislation
According to the EPA's Watersense program, although a large portion of our public water supply is used by residential customers, commercial and institutional buildings can account for 17% of the municipal water demand in the United States. As significant water users, commercial and institutional facilities have the opportunity to conserve this precious resource and save on their operating costs.
Legislative Updates
Due to the length and severity of the drought in California, Governor Brown issued an executive order which mandated emergency regulations to reduce urban water usage by 25%. The order granted the California Energy Commission the authority to establish and implement new water-efficiency standards for plumbing fixtures.
The helpful chart below illustrates these new standards, and how they will affect your business:
| Appliance | Mfg prior to Sep 1, 2015 | Mfg on or after Sep 1, 2015, and prior to Jul 1, 2016 | Sold or offered for sale prior to Jan 1, 2016 | Sold or offered for sale after to Jan 1, 2016 | Mfg on or after Jul 1, 2016 | Mfg on or after Jul 1, 2016 and prior to Jul 1, 2018 | Mfg on or after Jul 1, 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential Lavatory Faucets and Aerators | 2.2 GPM @ 60 PSI | 1.5 GPM @ 60 PSI | → | → | 1.2 GPM @ 60 PSI | → | → |
| Commercial Lavatory Faucets & Aerators | 2.2 GPM @ 60 PSI | → | → | 0.5 GPM @ 60 PSI | → | → | → |
| Kitchen Faucets & Aerators | 2.2 GPM @ 60 PSI | → | → | 1.8 GPM @ 60 PSI | → | → | → |
| Showerheads & Horizontal Body Sprayers | 2.5 GPM @ 80 PSI | → | → | → | → | 2.0 GPM 80 PSI | 1.8 GPM @ 80 PSI |
To comply with the new CA standards for residential lavatory faucets, we are taking the following actions:
- Domestic brand residential lavatory faucets and aerators with flow rates greater than 1.5 gallons per minute will be restricted from sale into California starting on October 9.
- Due to the longer delivery lead times of exclusive brand faucets, Premier and ProPlus residential lavatory faucets and aerators with flow rates higher than 1.5 gallons per minute will be restricted from sale into California starting on December 1st.