§ 31-141.33. Water-conserving plumbing fixtures.

Under the Texas Health and Safety Code, Section 372.002, "Water Saving Performance Standards," water-conserving plumbing fixtures are required by all local municipalities in the State of Texas for new structures and existing structures undergoing substantial modification or addition. On January 1, 1992, Texas Legislature created the Water-Saving Plumbing Fixture Program to promote water conservation. Manufacturers of plumbing fixtures sold, offered for sale, distributed, or imported to Texas need to comply with the Environmental Performance Standards for Plumbing Fixtures.

The water-saving performance standards for a plumbing fixture are the following standards:

(1)

For a sink or lavatory faucet or a faucet aerator, the maximum flow may not exceed 2.2 gallons of water per minute at a pressure of sixty (60) pounds per square inch;

(2)

For a shower head, the maximum flow may not exceed 2.5 gallons of water per minute at a constant pressure over eighty (80) pounds per square inch;

(3)

For a urinal and the associated flush valve, if any, sold, offered for sale, or distributed in this state before January 1, 2014, the maximum flow may not exceed an average of one (1) gallon of water per flush; the urinal and the associated flush valve, if any, must meet the performance, testing, and labeling requirements prescribed by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Standard A112.19.2-2008 and Canadian Standards Association Standard B45.1-2008 "Vitreous China Plumbing Fixtures and Hydraulic Requirements for Water Closets and Urinals";

(4)

For a urinal and the associated flush valve, if any, sold, offered for sale, or distributed in this state on or after January 1, 2014, the maximum flow may not exceed an average of 0.5 gallons of water per flush; the urinal and the associated flush valve, if any must meet the performance, testing, and labeling requirements prescribed by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Standard A112.19.2-2008 and Canadian Standards Association Standard B45.1-2008 "Vitreous China Plumbing Fixtures and Hydraulic Requirements for Water Closets and Urinals" or the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Standard A112.19.19-2006 "Vitreous China Nonwater Urinals";

(5)

For a toilet, sold, offered for sale, or distributed in this state before January 1, 2014, the maximum flow may not exceed an average of 1.6 gallons of water per flush; the toilet must meet the performance, testing, and labeling requirements prescribed by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Standard A112.19.2-2008 and Canadian Standards Association Standard B45.1-2008 "Vitreous China Plumbing Fixtures and Hydraulic Requirements for Water Closets and Urinals" and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Standard A112.19.14-2006 "Six-Liter Water Closets Equipped With a Dual Flushing Device";

(6)

For a toilet, sold, offered for sale, or distributed in this state on or after January 1, 2014, the toilet must be a dual-flush water closet that meets the average flush volume of two (2) reduced flushes and one (1) full flush not to exceed 1.28 gallons; the toilet must meet the performance, testing, and labeling requirements prescribed by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Standard A112.19.2-2008 and Canadian Standards Association Standard B45.1-2008 "Vitreous China Plumbing Fixtures and Hydraulic Requirements for Water Closets and Urinals" and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Standard A112.19.14-2006 "Six-Liter Water Closets Equipped With a Dual Flushing Device"; or the toilet must be a single-flush water closet where the average flush volume may not exceed 1.28 gallons and the toilet must meet the performance, testing, and labeling requirements prescribed by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Standard A112.19.2-2008 and Canadian Standards Association Standard B45.1-2008 "Vitreous China Plumbing Fixtures and Hydraulic Requirements for Water Closets and Urinals";

(7)

For a drinking water fountain, it must be self-closing.

In accordance with the amended subsections (2), (3), and (6) and added subsections (7) and (8) from the Section 372.002 of the Texas Health and Safety Code, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality shall make and maintain a current list of the plumbing fixtures that are certified to the commission by the manufacturer to meet the water saving performance standards. To have a plumbing fixture on the list, a manufacturer must supply to the commission, in the form prescribed the by commission the identification and the performance specifications of the plumbing fixture and certified test results from a laboratory accredited by the American National Standards Institute verifying that the plumbing fixture meets the water-saving performance standards. This section does not apply to:

(1)

A plumbing fixture that has been ordered by or is in the inventory of a building contractor or wholesaler or retailer of plumbing fixtures on January 1, 1992;

(2)

A safety shower or aspirator faucet, that because of the fixture's specialized function, cannot meet the standards provided;

(3)

A fixture originally installed before January 1, 1992, that is removed and reinstalled in the same building on or after that date;

(4)

A fixture imported only for use at the importer's domicile;

(5)

A nonwater-supplied urinal;

(6)

A plumbing fixture that has been certified by the Untied States Environmental Protection Agency under the WaterSense Program.

The water-saving performance standards for a urinal and the associated flush valve, if any, sold, offered for sale, or distributed in this state on or after January 1, 2014, are the standards prescribed in the prior section if the urinal was designed for heavy-duty commercial applications.

The water-saving performance standards for a toilet sold, offered for sale, or distributed in this state on or after January 1, 2014, are the standards prescribed in the prior section if the toilet is a water closet that has a design not typically found in a residential application or that is designed for a specialized application, including a water closet that will:

(1)

Is mounted on the wall and discharges to the drainage system through the floor;

(2)

Is located in a correctional facility, as defined by Section 1.07 of the Penal Code;

(3)

Is used in a bariatric application;

(4)

Is used by children at a daycare facility; or

(5)

Consists of a nontank-type commercial bowl connected to the plumbing system through a pressurized flushing device.

In addition to these mandatory water efficiency standards, the City of Laredo recommends the following water conservation measures:

(1)

Hot water pipes to be insulated when the hot water lines are not in or under a concrete slab;

(2)

Swimming pools, previously constructed, to have a recirculation and filtration system;

(3)

Automatic dishwashers to use less than six (6) gallons of water per cycle for residential dwellings;

(4)

Automatic clothes washers to use less than fourteen (14) gallons of water per cycle for residential dwellings.

The use of water-efficient plumbing fixtures in new construction and rehabilitation of structures will significantly reduce the per capita water use and wastewater flows. Such savings will enhance the market economy as new developments will be conserving water and older inefficient structures will be rehabilitated replacing plumbing fixtures with those that are water efficient. In addition, water savings associated with high-efficiency plumbing fixtures are relatively predictable as the savings are not dependent on conscious effort by the consumer to modify water use behaviors.

New water-conserving plumbing fixtures that replace or retrofit the existing plumbing fixtures must follow the residential and commercial construction requirements as described in the International Plumbing Code, as adopted by the City of Laredo, which includes high-efficiency plumbing fixtures. Water efficiency standards adopted by state and federal government supersede and replace any local standards.

( Ord. No. 2014-O-048, §1(Exh. A), 4-21-14 )