CALGreen, which is part of the California Building Code, sets required and voluntary measures for green building design and construction. This measure accelerates the adoption of CALGreen Tier 1 Voluntary Standards for kitchen faucet and appliance standards as a new requirement for new residential construction. New efficiency standards pertain to water-efficient kitchen faucets and ENERGY STAR-rated dishwashers and clothes washers. The California Building Code is updated every three years, and in line with this State update, the Department of Planning & Development Services (PDS) is updating the County Construction Code. In 2020, the County of San Diego Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance to require the installation of water efficient appliances and plumbing fixtures.

CALGreen regulates construction of new residential and non-residential buildings including issuing requirements in the planning and design; energy efficiency; water efficiency and conservation; material conservation and resource efficiency; and environmental quality of new buildings. The purpose of CALGreen is to improve public health and safety, and general welfare through sustainable building construction and design. To achieve CALGreen Tier 1 Voluntary, buildings must comply with specific green building standards for green flooring, thermal insulation, recycled content, solar reflectance, and water-efficient appliances and plumbing fixtures, among others.

Reducing the amount of water used in home appliances and plumbing avoids greenhouse gas emissions from fossil-fuel electricity power used to treat, store, transport, and deliver water. The County will track the number of new residential units built after the Water Efficiency Requirement goes into effect. Then water use from CALGreen Tier 1 equipment in new homes will be estimated. Greenhouse gas emissions reductions will be calculated from the amount of water conserved in gallons from implementation of the new requirement for new residential  development.

Per the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American uses 88 gallons of water a day at home. Leaving your faucet running for five minutes while washing dishes can waste 10 gallons of water and uses enough energy to power a 60-watt light bulb for 18 hours! Newer, efficient kitchen faucets and appliances (i.e., dishwashers, and clothes washers) consume less water than older, less efficient models. Less water used results in more efficient use of a precious resource, energy savings, and can lower your water and energy bills.