Diagnostic
SB 407, signed into California law in 2009 and fully in force since 2017 for residential and 2019 for commercial properties, requires that plumbing fixtures in any building constructed on or before January 1, 1994 be either already water-conserving or be replaced with water-conserving fixtures when triggered by alterations, additions, or sale. The law has been on the books long enough that most Californians assume it is either a non-issue or aggressively enforced. Neither is exactly true.
The Law Itself: Civil Code §§1101.1-1101.9
SB 407 (Padilla), the Water-Conserving Plumbing Fixtures Act, added Civil Code sections 1101.1 through 1101.9. It applies to "residential real property" and "commercial real property" built on or before January 1, 1994.
The operative deadlines:
- Single-family residential: All non-compliant fixtures required to be replaced by January 1, 2017.
- Multifamily residential and commercial: All non-compliant fixtures required to be replaced by January 1, 2019.
- Permitted alterations since January 1, 2014: Any additions, alterations, or improvements requiring a building permit trigger mandatory replacement of non-compliant fixtures in the affected area.
What Counts as Non-Compliant
Civil Code §1101.3 defines a "non-compliant plumbing fixture" by flow or flush rate thresholds:
- Toilets: Any toilet that uses more than 1.6 gallons per flush.
- Urinals: Any urinal that uses more than 1.0 gallons per flush.
- Showerheads: Any showerhead with a flow rate above 2.5 gallons per minute.
- Interior faucets: Any faucet above 2.2 gallons per minute.
Important clarification: SB 407 defines non-compliance at the pre-1992 federal standard (1.6 gpf toilets, 2.5 gpm showerheads, 2.2 gpm faucets). California's newer CALGreen Building Code sets stricter limits for new construction, 1.28 gpf toilets, 1.8 gpm showerheads, 1.2 gpm lavatory faucets. These CALGreen limits apply to new construction, not to SB 407 retrofit triggers. A 1.6 gpf toilet in an existing home is SB 407-compliant even though it would not meet CALGreen standards for new construction.
What Triggers Mandatory Replacement
1. Building permits for alterations, additions, or improvements. Any permitted work in your home since January 1, 2014 triggers replacement of non-compliant fixtures in the affected area. Most LA-area inspectors will not sign off on a remodel that leaves legacy high-flow fixtures in the remodeled area.
2. Sale of the property. At the point of sale, the seller is required to disclose in writing whether the property contains non-compliant fixtures. The disclosure does not automatically require replacement before close, that depends on negotiation, but the disclosure itself is mandatory under Civil Code §1101.4.
The Point-of-Sale Disclosure
California does not have a single statewide standardized SB 407 disclosure form. In practice, the California Association of Realtors (CAR) form "WCMD" is the most commonly used disclosure in standard residential transactions.
Enforcement is civil. If a seller fails to disclose, or makes a false disclosure, the buyer may have grounds to pursue a breach of disclosure claim after close. No state agency audits transactions for SB 407 disclosure compliance, the mechanism is entirely private-party enforcement through real estate contracts.
Los Angeles Overlays Are Stricter
The City of Los Angeles layers additional requirements on top of SB 407 through the LA Municipal Code Water Efficiency Requirements Ordinance (LAMC §§121.00-121.12). For pre-1978 residential properties inside the City of LA, retrofits of ultra-low-flush toilets and water-conserving showerheads are required at the time of sale, not just disclosure, but actual replacement. This means a Los Angeles homeowner selling a pre-1978 house has a harder compliance burden than a seller elsewhere in California.
Rebates That Offset the Cost
As of 2026, the stackable programs:
LADWP Residential Rebates:
- Premium High-Efficiency Toilets (≤1.1 gpf): $250 per unit.
- Turf Replacement: $5 per square foot for residential, up to 5,000 square feet.
- High-efficiency clothes washers, smart irrigation controllers, premium sprinkler nozzles, rain barrels: additional rebates through LADWP SoCal Water$mart.
MWD SoCal Water$mart: Regional rebates that stack with LADWP's for certain fixtures and landscape upgrades.
A full SB 407 retrofit of a typical pre-1994 LA home, two toilets, a showerhead, and two faucet aerators, can cost between $400 and $1,200. The LADWP toilet rebate alone can recover $500 of that. Combined with utility water-savings, the retrofit typically pays for itself in one to three years.
Why This Matters Beyond Compliance
The practical benefit of SB 407 compliance is not the avoidance of a disclosure issue at sale, it is water bill reduction and household resilience during shortages. A 1.6 gpf toilet uses less than half the water of a 3.5 gpf toilet. For an LA family of four, the annual water savings from full SB 407 compliance compared to pre-1994 fixtures typically run $200 to $400 on the water bill alone.
For homes with water treatment systems, softeners, filtration, RO, reduced flow fixtures also extend the service life of the treatment equipment. A home using less water generates less backwash, less brine discharge, and fewer regeneration cycles.
Free Water Test and Fixture Assessment
When Water₂O installs a water treatment system, we assess your home's fixtures as part of the initial walk-through. We can tell you whether your existing toilets, showerheads, and faucets comply with SB 407 and coordinate LADWP rebate paperwork. Free in-home assessment throughout LA, Ventura, Orange, and Riverside Counties. Call (410) 262-9888 or schedule online.
Sources: California Senate Bill 407 (Padilla, 2009); California Civil Code §§1101.1-1101.9; California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen); City of Los Angeles Municipal Code §§121.00-121.12; California Association of Realtors WCMD disclosure form; LADWP Residential SoCal Water$mart rebate programs; MWD SoCal Water$mart regional program.
