CREIA Advises Home Sellers and Buyers to Know Fixture Water Flow Rates Mandated in California

ALISO VIEJO, Calif., Oct. 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The California Real Estate Inspection Association (CREIA) advises home sellers and buyers to know water-saving rules mandated in California, which affect the homes' water fixtures and which could result in some costly implications.

Senate Bill 407(SB407) was signed by Governor Schwarzenegger in 2009, and applies to all Single Family Residences built before January 1, 1994. This legislation requires that water conserving plumbing fixtures be installed throughout the home as a condition of building permits applied for after January 1, 2014. As of January 1, 2017 all residences built prior to January 1, 1994 must comply with these requirements and homeowners are required to install water saving fixtures.  The Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) will be tasked with enforcing the new laws.

The Real Estate community will also be faced with some new challenges.
SB407 mandated a change in the California Civil Code, which states in part:
1101.4.  (b) On or before January 1, 2017, noncompliant plumbing fixtures in any single-family residential real property shall be replaced by the property owner with water-conserving plumbing fixtures.
(c) On and after January 1, 2017, a seller or transferor of single-family residential real property shall disclose in writing to the prospective purchaser or transferee the requirements of subdivision (b) and whether the real property includes any noncompliant plumbing fixtures.

The new rules for water saving fixtures will not apply to multi-family residential and commercial real property until January 1, 2019.

This means if the flow rates of fixtures exceed the state mandated maximum and you are planning on selling your home after January 2017, you will be required to replace all non-compliant fixtures and disclose if there are non-compliant fixtures installed.

If a toilet flows more than 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf), a 1.28 gpf toilet will be required. If a showerhead exceeds 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm), a 2.0 gpm shower head will be required. If a lavatory faucet flows more than 2.2 gpm, a 1.2 gpm faucet will be required. If a kitchen sink faucet flows more than 2.2 gpm, a 1.8 gpm faucet will be required.

CREIA is dedicated to consumer protection and education. Go to WWW.CREIA.ORG/FIND-AN-INSPECTOR to locate a qualified CREIA inspector near you.

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SOURCE California Real Estate Inspection Association

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http://www.creia.org