Kingston Brass Complies With Stricter Energy Standards

When the California Energy Commission announced its approval of new stricter limits on water flow rates for lavatory faucets and showerheads in the summer of 2015, Kingston Brass was quick to comply with the new standards, understanding that water is a precious resource not only in California, but throughout the world.

This week, as part of a special series, the Southern California-based Kingston Brass is working to draw much needed attention to the impacts of climate change while also promoting sustainability and water conservation practices.

The New Standard

In compliance with the CEC, Kingston Brass’ extensive collections feature faucets and showerheads that are constructed and delivered with a preset restriction apparatus to meet the state’s maximum water flow rates.

Under the CEC’s updated restriction standards, which went into effect in July 2016, the maximum water flow rate for lavatory faucets in California is now 1.2 gallons per minute, down from 2.2 gallons.

The flow rate of showerheads was reduced from 2.5 gallons per minute to 2.0 gallons in 2016 as well, but just last month, per the CEC guidelines, California became the state with toughest standard for showerheads as the limit was again brought down to 1.8 gallons, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The latest reductions are expected to save about 154 billion gallons of water over the next 10 years, and following a full turnover of the state’s stock of faucets and showerheads by 2029, California is estimated to save 38 billion gallons of water each year, the L.A. Times reported.

How Other States Are Helping

Beyond California, other states have been implementing similar water efficiency standards for essential household plumbing fixtures over the years.

In Texas, the maximum water flow rate for bathroom faucets is set at 2.2 gallons per minute, and in Georgia and New York the water flow rate for lavatory faucets mustn’t exceed 1.5 gallons per minute. And as for showerheads, Georgia and Texas have set a maximum water flow rate of 2.5 gallons per minute, while in New York the water flow rate is set at 2.0 gallons per minute.

WaterSense Approved

At Kingston Brass, we pride ourselves on delivering the best water and energy efficient products in the plumbing market by adhering to the state of California’s strict conservation standards. And while all of our products comply with these regulations, we are also delighted to have a pair of showerheads that have earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense label.

WaterSense is a voluntary partnership program meant to encourage plumbing appliance manufacturers and retailers to produce more water efficient products that help conserve water. Companies’ products that meet certain efficiency standards set by the EPA can qualify for the WaterSense label.

Showerheads that qualify for the WaterSense label must not use more than 2.0 gallons per minute and bathroom faucets must not have a flow rate of more than 1.5 gallons per minute. The KX25 and KX36 series of Kingston Brass’ Watersense showerheads from the Showerscape Collection go a few steps further as they both have maximum flow rates of 1.75 gallons per minute.

With California currently undergoing a new drought, Kingston Brass is encouraging its customers to consider their energy output at home by switching to more sustainable practices and installing more water efficient appliances. Doing so could not only help the rest of the world, but also your energy bills at home.

Kingston Brass Marketing Assistant Maddy Kim contributed to this article.