A new law set to take place in January will make California the first state in the nation to require low-flow toilets in nearly all homes, apartments and businesses, regional water officials said.
California will become the first state in the nation to require low-flow toilets in virtually all homes, apartment houses and businesses under a law that begins to take effect in January, officials say.
The water-conserving measure requires low-flow toilets, shower heads and interior faucets for single-family homes exceeding 20 years in age; homes built after that date already have them.
Owners of single-family homes built before 1994 — a number near 172,000 in Ventura County — would see an immediate impact if they remodel and don’t have the fixtures.
Starting Jan. 1, they won’t be able to get final approval for a variety of home improvements — from replacements of windows to a room addition — unless they have low-flow plumbing fixtures throughout their properties.
By 2017, the law requires all pre-1994 homes to be retrofitted with low-flow plumbing fixtures plus disclosure of noncomplying fixtures when owners sell. Businesses and multifamily buildings also must disclose whether they meet the law when selling property by that date.
Building inspectors say they won’t become “toilet police,” but they do expect toilets to be replaced as people sell their homes and do renovations.
“There’s no language that compels local building departments to write letters and knock on people’s doors,” said Jim MacDonald, building and safety director for unincorporated county territory. “I don’t think the law anticipates there will be 100 percent compliance.”