Mike Dressler on Green Building, Buying and Living

California Gov. Jerry brown recently signed bill SB 837 authorizing new disclosure language that informs homebuyers of last year's SB 407 Padilla legislation requiring new water efficiency measures in homes.  Realtors are now required to inform their clients that retrofitting of their homes with water conserving features will be required under state law.

Beginning January 1, 2014, all homes built before 1994 undergoing a remodel will be required to be retrofitted with high-performance toilets, showerheads and faucets. The law extends to any and all pre-1994 homes by year 2017. Commercial properties and multi-family homes are also required to meet the new water efficiency guidelines, but have until 2019 to comply.

Let’s face it. Southern California is basically a desert. The new law takes aim at satisfying much needed water conservation efforts in our area. But not to worry. The water conserving features commonly referred to as “Low-Flow” should be referred to in my opinion as “High-Performance.”  Many folks have avoided updating their homes with these features because they associate a lower flow with lower performance. It can be (and often is) argued that this simply is not the case. Proponents of the low-flow toilets and showerheads have pointed out that high-efficiency products work better and are ultimately more satisfying than the features found in the majority of homes.

If you are planning a remodel before the 2014 kickoff date, I urge you to consider the many high-performance water features that are on the market today. While you have several years to be in compliance with new state law SB 407, it’s never to soon to start conserving our planet’s precious water supply.