When the province introduced changes to the B.C. building code in 2008 to support water conservation through the use of high-efficiency toilets, it was expected to have a lasting impact. But in two short years, toilets and urinals have become more efficient than the six-litre flush volume toilets previously required.
So the province is updating the code again by requiring high-efficiency toilets that use at least 20% less water than the six-litre models required in new buildings and renovations.
The requirement for high-efficiency toilets comes into effect October 4.
Toilets and urinals, according to the B.C. government, represent 30% to 40% of domestic water use in households and in commercial and institutional buildings.
Dual-flush toilets that have flush ranges between 4.1 litres and six litres will be allowed because their effective flush volume is less than 4.8 litres.
The requirement for toilets with a maximum flush cycle of six litres in industrial, commercial and institutional buildings will remain unchanged because further research is required on waste transport in drain lines in such buildings, according to the government.
While some early low-consumption toilets did not perform well, more than 100 high-efficiency models demonstrated good to excellent flushing performance in recent testing conducted by Mississauga’s Veritec Consulting and California’s Koeller and Co.
The availability of high-efficiency toilets is still somewhat limited, according to the government, but costs are comparable to quality six-litre models.
High-efficiency urinals with a flush volume of 1.9 litres or less will also be required in new buildings and renovations. Those urinals use roughly one-third of the amount of water and save close to 18,000 litres of water per year.