There was a flurry of news in the energy and resource conservation sector before the year came to a close. One of the developments came from the EPA with the news that there is now a WaterSense specification available for flushometer-valve toilets.
The new specification sets a maximum allowable flush volume of 1.28 gallons per flush (gpf). According to the EPA, this is 20 percent less than the current federal standard. The maximum flush volume applies to both single- and dual-flush toilets.
The minimum flush volume is set to be 1.0 gpf, to ensure adequate water flow for plumbing systems. The EPA estimates that a WaterSense-labeled flushometer valve could save almost $1,000 over the lifetime of the toilet.
WaterSense labels already exist for flushing urinals and pre-rise spray valves. WaterSense-labeled flushometers are expected on the market in early 2016, says EPA.
WaterSense estimates that there are nearly 27 million flushometer-valve toilets currently installed in the United States. Approximately 26 percent (7 million) of the old toilets have flush volumes as high as 3.0 to 7.0 gallons per flush (gpf), according to the EPA.
For more information on the WaterSense label, go to www.epa.gov/watersense.
And to learn more about how flushometer valves can help conserve water, check out Water Conservation: Flushometers, Waterless Urinals Boost Efficiency
This Quick Read was submitted by Naomi Millán, senior editor of Building Operating Management magazine, naomi.millan@tradepress.com.
