Marin homeowners compelled to combine water conservation with renovation

By Janis Mara Marin Independent Journal

If you're about to do a renovation on your home, there's something you should know: If the house is more than 20 years old and has water-wasting fixtures, you must replace them thanks to a new state law being phased in this year.

SB 470 requires that low-flow toilets, shower heads and interior faucets replace non-conserving fixtures in single-family homes more than 20 years old undergoing remodels or additions. This part of the law became effective Jan. 1, and other elements will kick in over the next five years.

As far as the age requirement, "It's going to affect most of the homes in Marin County," said Bob Ravasio, an agent with Coldwell Banker. "Most of them were built before 1994. For example, last year alone, of the 3,452 homes that sold, about two-thirds were built before 1994."

A water conserving shower head is photographed at Jackson's Hardware in San Rafael, Calif. on Friday, Feb. 14, 2014. (Alan Dep/Marin Independent Journal) Alan Dep

Ravasio emphasized that many aspects of the law's enforcement haven't yet been finalized.

"This thing is still in the stages where we are trying to figure out what the consequences are," the agent said.

"The law provides an enormous amount of gray area and we're trying to get to the bottom of how it's going to be implemented," said Blaine Morris, president of the Marin Association of Realtors.

The law affects remodels, not resales.

"There is nothing in the law that requires the installation of water-conserving fixtures as a condition of sale," said Lotus Lou of the California Association of Realtors.

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Marin homeowners compelled to combine water conservation with renovation