CA Mandates Water-Saving Washers

Governor Davis signed a second bill in September requiring that

residential clothes washers meet commercial water-use standards by 2007. AB 1561, the first bill of its kind in the nation, demands that no more than 9.5 gallons (42 l) of water be used to clean one cubic foot (0.03 m³) of laundry. Each machine is expected to use 7,000 fewer gallons (26,500 l) of water per year than a conventional machine, saving the state 1 billion gallons (3.8 billion l) annually. Though the efficient machines will be more expensive at the outset, the EPA predicts a savings of $48 per machine per year due to decreased energy and water costs.