On Tuesday, November 16, 2010, the City of Manhattan Beach will decide whether or not they are going to require point of sale retrofits for toilets. What this means for residents is that when you sell your home you would have to either prove that you have installed a new low flush toilet ( 1.28 gallons vs current 1.6-3.5 gallons per flush)by showing a signed permit from the city or if you have not installed a new low flush toilet you would need to do so before the property closes escrow.
The interesting thing about the proposed ordinance is that the City may not be making a new toilet a requirement if you remodel a home only if you sell... which doesn't make a lot of sense. If the goal is greater conservation of water then it would seem to me that any remodeling project should also require new toilets. They are required for new construction.
I would imagine that if this requirement is approved the city will also soon implement requirements for other water saving devices at point of sale similar to those required in Santa Monica and the City of Los Angeles.
Currently Manhattan Beach is the only City with this requirement under consideration but you can bet if it goes through other local cities will also require point of sale retrofitting. The cost would likely be about $100 for a permit + the cost of the toilet and the cost to install it. I'm thinking it would run about $300-$400 per toilet.
I don't disagree with the idea that we all need to conserve more water. However I think the requirement should be part of any interior remodeling project and not just limited to point of sale if the goal is to conserve water and not a new way to raise money. If you have concerns than you should show up at the City Council meeting next Tuesday and let them know how you feel.
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