Reminder of requirement for water-efficient upgrades

By Rose Meily, for Silicon Valley Community Newspapers

Members of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors want to remind homeowners planning to do major kitchen or bathroom remodeling this spring of a law that went into effect this year calling for the replacement of older plumbing fixtures with water-conserving ones.

Under the law, which took effect Jan. 1, when improving a property that was built prior to 1994, new water-conserving toilets, showerheads, faucets and urinals must be installed before the local building department will issue a certificate of final completion and occupancy. This means all homes undergoing alterations, additions or improvements must replace non-compliant plumbing fixtures with water-conserving fixtures. This applies to all single-family property permits, as well as multifamily and commercial property permits where 10 percent or more of the square footage is included in the remodel.

According to the law, the plumbing fixtures that will need to be replaced are any toilet manufactured to use more than 1.6 gallons per flush; any showerhead manufactured to have a flow capacity of more than 2.5 gallons of water per minute; any interior faucet that emits more than 2.2 gallons of water per minute; and any urinal manufactured to use more than one gallon of water per flush.

"This is a law that homeowners shouldn't worry too much about. The law only applies this year to permitted additions, alterations and improvements. Most homeowners who plan to remodel a kitchen or bathroom would consider these water-saving fixtures," said David Tonna, president of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors.

Tonna added that replacement of non-compliant plumbing fixtures with water-conserving fixtures is not a point of sale requirement. "There is nothing in the law that requires the installation of water-conserving fixtures as a condition of sale. The law does not apply to repairs or maintenance," explained Tonna.

According to the California Building Officials' analysis of the law on its website, "Based on definitions found within the California Building Code and California Green Building Code, alteration and improvements are interpreted to mean any construction to an existing structure which enhance or improve the structure. Construction related to repairs or maintenance of the structure is not considered to be an alteration or improvement."

Tonna said the law is not new. California Senate Bill 407 (Padilla) was passed by the legislature in 2009. Although as of this year the law only applies to homes undergoing improvements, Tonna said homeowners may want to consider installing the water-saving fixtures anyway because they will be mandatory in all homes in 2017 and in multifamily and commercial properties two years later.

On or before Jan. 1, 2017, the law requires that all noncompliant plumbing fixtures in any single-family residential property be replaced with water-conserving plumbing fixtures. On or before Jan. 1, 2019, the law requires that all noncompliant plumbing fixtures in multifamily residential and commercial properties be replaced with water-conserving plumbing fixtures.

According to the California Association of Realtors, the legislature sees water conservation as a cost-effective approach to the challenges created by not having enough water. Those challenges include future economic health; environmental health; growing urban areas; water reliability; waste water treatment; energy and other resource costs; and protecting and restoring aquatic resources. All of these issues were cited as reasons behind this effort to promote water conservation.

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Reminder of requirement for water-efficient upgrades