THE PRODUCT:

Toilets (also known as water closets) include tank-type toilets that are either gravity or pressure assist and either single- or dual-flush. 

THE STANDARD:

The current national standards for toilets took effect in 1994 and set a maximum water use of 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf). In 2010, DOE officially waived federal preemption of the national toilet standard. This waiver of federal preemption allows states to set standards provided they are more stringent than the national standard.

Since 2007, 12 states have adopted standards for toilets at 1.28 gpf, which is equivalent to EPA’s WaterSense level.

KEY FACTS:

Toilets are one of the primary users of water in the home, accounting for 26% of an average home's indoor water usage, according to a 2016 Water Research Foundation study. In the U.S., there are an average of two toilets per home.

Timeline

Federal Date States
  2024 MD Standard Effective
  2023 ME Standard Effective
  2023 RI Standard Effective
  2022 MD Standard Adopted
  2022 DC Standard Effective
  2022 NY Standard Effective
  2022 MA Standard Effective
  2022 NJ Standard Effective
  2021 ME Standard Adopted
  2021 RI Standard Adopted
  2021 MA Standard Adopted
  2021 NJ Standard Adopted
  2021 WA Standard Effective
  2020 DC Standard Adopted
  2020 NV Standard Effective
  2019 NY Standard Adopted
  2019 NV Standard Adopted
  2019 WA Standard Adopted
  2016 CO Standard Effective
  2016 CA Standard Effective
  2015 CA Standard Adopted
  2014 CO Standard Adopted
  2014 CA Standard Effective
  2014 TX Standard Effective
  2012 GA Standard Effective
  2010 GA Standard Adopted
  2009 TX Standard Adopted
  2007 CA Standard Adopted
1st Federal Standard Effective 1994  
1st Federal Standard Adopted 1992  
EPACT Initial Federal Legislation Enacted 1992