Int. No. 271-A

By Council Members Lappin, Brewer, Gonzalez, Lander, Recchia Jr., Van Bramer, Vann, Williams, Garodnick, Arroyo, Mark-Viverito, Rodriguez, Gennaro, Jackson, Levin, Chin, Eugene, Koppell and Koo

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to enhancing water efficiency standards.

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

                     Section 1.  Section PC 202 of the New York city plumbing code is amended by adding certain definitions to be placed in appropriate alphabetical order, to read as follows:

DUAL FLUSH WATER CLOSET.  A water closet that enables the user to select a high flush for solid waste or a reduced volume, low flush for liquid waste.

WaterSense PROGRAM.  A program of the United States Environmental Protection Agency providing for the third-party certification of plumbing fixtures as meeting performance and efficiency requirements established by such agency and authorizing the labeling of plumbing fixtures as meeting such requirements.                                          

                     §2. Table 604.4 of the New York city plumbing code, as added by local law number 33 for the year 2007, is amended to read as follows:

TABLE 604.4

MAXIMUM FLOW RATES AND CONSUMPTION FOR PLUMBING FIXTURES AND FIXTURE FITTINGS

For SI: 1 gallon = 3.785 L, 1 gallon per minute = 3.785 L/m,

                     1 pound per square inch = 6.895 kPa.

a. A hand-held shower spray is a shower head.

b. Consumption tolerances shall be determined from referenced standards.

c.  A dual flush water closet where one third of the sum of the high flush volume plus twice the low flush volume is less than or equal to 1.28 gallons per flush.

                     §3.  Section PC 604 of the New York city plumbing code is amended by adding a new subsection 604.4.1, to read as follows:

604.4.1  WaterSense program label required.  Showerheads, private lavatory faucets, water closets and for urinals, the urinal flush valve or fixture/valve combination, shall meet the specifications required for the WaterSense program label and shall bear such label, or shall be approved in accordance with this code.

Exception:  Water closets in public restrooms.                     

                     §4.  Chapter 13 of the New York city plumbing code is amended by adding a new referenced standard “WaterSense” after “PDI”, to read as follows:

                     §5. Section 20-689 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as added by local law number 29 for the year 1989, is amended to read as follows:

                     §20-689  Water saving plumbing fixtures. (1)  It shall be unlawful for any person to [distribute,] sell[,] or offer for sale [or import] any plumbing fixture [which] that does not [meet the standards of subdivision P.104.2 of section P.104.0 of reference standard RS-16 of the appendix to chapter one of title twenty-seven of this code] comply with section 604.4 of the New York city plumbing code.

§6. This local law shall take effect on July 1, 2012, except that the commissioner of buildings and the commissioner of consumer affairs shall each take such measures as are necessary for its implementation, including the promulgation of rules, prior to such effective date.

10/5/2010 11:23 PM