Less Drain on Resources

Los Angeles is getting the jump on the state of California in requiring that all new toilets installed in the city be new, ultra-low-flow models. Beginning July 1, a city ordinance sponsored by Councilwoman Ruth Galanter goes into effect requiring that new toilets use no more than 1.6 gallons per flush. Standard toilets consume anywhere from 3 to 6 gallons.

Since about 25,000 new toilets are installed in Los Angeles every month, city officials estimate that the ordinance will save nearly 500 million gallons of water in the first year. That is enough to fill the Coliseum nearly four times, Galanter said. Her proposal was approved as an amendment to the city’s water conservation law. The practicality of the ultra-low-flow toilets has been demonstrated elsewhere and the 1.6-gallon standard is being adopted by the American National Standards Institute.

Assemblyman William J. Filante (R-Greenbrae) is the author of a bill in the Legislature to make the 1.6-gallon toilet standard throughout California. With Los Angeles now setting the pace, the state should follow quickly as a water-conservation measure. Statewide adoption of the low-flow water closet also will encourage more manufacturers to convert to the new toilet, thereby bringing down the cost.