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Urinals

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The Department of Energy (DOE) has regulated the water consumption level of urinals since 1998. A urinal is a plumbing fixture that is typically wall-mounted and is designed to receive liquid waste only.

DOE will analyze energy and water savings for urinals during any future standard rulemaking.

The standards and test procedures for this product are related to rulemaking for plumbing products test procedure.

Recent Updates

DOE published a final rule regarding test procedures for showerheads, faucets, water closets, urinals, and commercial prerinse spray valves. 78 FR 62970 (October 23, 2013). For more information, please see the rulemaking page.

Standards for Urinals

The following content summarizes the energy conservation standards for urinals. The text is not an official reproduction of the Code of Federal Regulations and should not be used for legal research or citation.

Current Standard

Urinals manufactured and distributed in commerce, as defined by 42 U.S.C. 6291 (16), on or after January 1, 1994 must meet the energy conservation standards specified in the Code of Federal Regulations, 10 CFR 430.32(r). The maximum water use allowed for any urinals manufactured after January 1, 1994, shall be 1.0 gallons per flush (3.8 liters per flush). The maximum water use allowed for a trough-type urinal shall be the product of:

The maximum flow rate for a urinal, and
The length of the trough-type urinal in inches (millimeter) divided by 16 inches (406 millimeters).

Final Rule: Standards, Federal Register, FR 63 13308 (March 18, 1998)

For further guidance or to submit questions related to the implementation of this standard, visit the Guidance and Frequently Asked Questions page.

Test Procedure for Urinals

Current Test Procedure

To determine compliance with DOE standards, manufacturers must follow the test procedures specified at 10 CFR Part 430, Subpart B, Appendix T for urinals as of September 14, 1998.

Final Rule: Test Procedure, Federal Register, 78 FR 62970 (October 23, 2013)
Docket No. EERE-2011-BT-TP-0061 contains all notices, public comments, public meeting transcripts, and supporting documents

For further guidance or to submit questions related to the implementation of this test procedure, visit the Guidance and Frequently Asked Questions page.

Waivers, Exceptions, and Exemptions

Waivers

Test procedure waivers have not been issued for urinals.

For information about obtaining test procedure waivers, see 10 CFR section 430.27.

Exceptions

DOE's Office of Hearings and Appeals has not authorized exception relief for urinals.

For information about obtaining exception relief, see 10 CFR part 1003.

State Exemptions to Federal Preemption

DOE issued a final rule on December 22, 2010 that waived federal preemption of any state regulation concerning the water use or water efficiency of faucets, showerheads, water closets and urinals, if such state regulation is more stringent than the federal regulation for the same product. This action was taken in order to comply with a provision of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, which requires that DOE waive federal preemption for these products if the corresponding ANSI/ASME water conservation standards for them have not been changed after a period of five consecutive years. (42 U.S.C. 6295(j)(3)(C) and 6295(k)(3)(C))

Statutory Authority

The current energy conservation standards for urinals are mandated by Part A, the ‘‘Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products Other Than Automobiles’’ of Title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), as amended. (42 U.S.C. 6291–6309) Urinals are treated as a covered product under Part A. (42 U.S.C. 6295(k))

Historical Information

Congress established the standards for showerheads, faucets, water closets, and urinals as part of the Energy Policy Act of 1992, which amended EPCA. Congress based the conservation standards for these products, and the test procedures that would be required for rating them, on the existing American Society of Mechanical Engineers/American National Standards Institute (ASME/ANSI) standards for each respective group of products.

For faucets and showerheads, EPCA states that the conservation standards shall be those of ASME/ANSI A112.18.1M-1989 and that for water closets and urinals the standards shall be those of ASME/ANSI A112.19.6-1990, both of which DOE subsequently adopted into the Code of Federal Regulations.

On March 18, 1998, DOE issued a final rule that updated the test procedures for these products by adopting more recent versions of both ASME/ANSI standards, which are the versions in use by DOE today. They are A112.18.1M-1996 for faucets and showerheads, and A112.19.6-1995 for water closets and urinals. The water conservation standards in the revised ASME/ANSI standards remained the same.

Helpful Links and Contact Information

Helpful Links

Find tips and guidance for making your home, workplace, or vehicle more energy efficient visit EnergySaver.gov.

Contact information

For more information related to the regulation of this product, please email:

urinals@ee.doe.gov