Simi May Require Water-Saving Toilets

The Simi Valley City Council, following the lead of several other Ventura County cities, has tentatively approved an ordinance that would require all new construction projects to use ultra-low flush toilets and urinals.

The council is expected to give final approval to the water-saving ordinance at its meeting June 4. The law will go into effect 30 days after that date.

Ronald Coons, director of the Simi Valley Department of Public Works, said the new ordinance will provide an estimated annual savings of 14,000 gallons for each new building.

The cities of Ventura, Ojai, Oxnard, Fillmore and Thousand Oaks, as well as Ventura County, have adopted similar ordinances. The cities of Port Hueneme and Moorpark are considering such measures.

State law requires that water conservation fixtures be installed in all new construction projects beginning in January, 1992.

Coons said adopting the ordinance now will help the city and the county avoid passing more drastic water-rationing measures in the future.

“Over 40% of the water in the house goes through the toilet,” Coons said. “We want to do everything we can to encourage water conservation, and a restriction such as this is the reasonable thing to do.”

Councilman Ann Rock agreed, saying that the new requirement is a “relatively tame way” to save water.

The ultra-low flush toilets use about 1.6 gallons per flush, compared to about 3.5 gallons used by standard toilets, according to a city staff report. The new urinals will use about 1 gallon per flush, slightly less than a standard urinal.