What is Prop 65?

Proposition 65, officially known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act. The Act protects California’s drinking water sources from being contaminated with a list of chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm, and requires businesses to inform Californians about exposures to such chemicals. Upcoming changes to the labeling requirements for products must now include a description of the materials or chemicals that are part of the product in order to provide sufficient warning to consumers at the time of purchase. Thus, point of purchase labels or signage must be provided by the companies that place products into commerce in California. This results in a product package labeling regime that includes placing a label on the exterior of the carton box. Below is an example of the label.

Lead is specifically identified as it is part of the brass alloys within many plumbing products such as: brass trip lever arm, brass tank to bowl bolts, hardware, etc. There is a responsibility of those who place products into commerce to sufficiently advise consumers of the potential exposure. This includes Kitchen and Bath retailers, contractors, plumbers, installers and others who have direct interface with California consumers. The labeling (see above) shall be placed on the exterior of the box.

For more information, visit the Prop 65 website.

CEC Standards

  • Toilets shall not consume more than 1.28 gallons per flush and shall have a waste extraction score of no fewer than 350 grams.*
  • Showers shall not exceed 2.0 gallons per minute
  • Beginning July 1, 2018 Showers shall not exceed 1.8 gallons per minute
  • Urinals shall not consume more than 0.125 gallons per flush.*
  • Residential bathroom faucets shall not exceed 1.2 gallons per minute flow rate.*
  • Kitchen faucets shall not exceed 1.8 gallons per minute flow rate and may have the capability to increase to 2.2 gallons per minute momentarily for filling pots and pans.*
  • Public bathroom faucets shall not exceed 0.5 gallons per minute flow rate.*

CALGreen Building Codes

  • Toilets shall consume no more than 1.28 gal/flush*
  • Wall Mounted Urinals shall consume no more than 0.125 gallons per flush; all other urinals shall 0.5 gallons per flush or less*
  • Single shower heads shall have a maximum flow rate of 2.0 gallons per minute at 80 psi*
  • Multiple shower heads combined flow rate of all shower heads controlled by a single valve shall not exceed 2.0 gallons per minute at 80 psi, or only one shower outlet is to be in operation at a time*
  • Residential Bathroom Faucets shall have a maximum flow rate of 1.2 gallons per minute at 60 psi; the minimum operating flow rate should be at least 0.8 gallons per minute at 20 psi*
  • Public Bathroom Faucets in Common and Public Use Areas of Residential Buildings shall not exceed 0.5 gallons per minute at 60 psi*
  • Metering Faucets shall not exceed 0.25 gallons per cycle*
  • Kitchen Faucets shall have a maximum flow rate of 1.8 gallons per minute at 60 psi and allow for temporary increase to 2.2 gallons per minute for filling pots and pans but shall default to 1.8 gallons per minute*