Faucet Fixtures

In the past, faucets were not a primary focus of water efficiency advocates, given that the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct 92) and subsequent EPAct actions limited faucet flows to 2.2 gpm (8.3 L) (at 60 psi) and that seemed to be a sufficient level of efficiency. In the mid-1990s, however, the U.S. model plumbing codes and the U.S. standard (ANSI standard ASME A112.18.1) further reduced that maximum flow rate to 0.5-gpm (1.9 L) for public (non-residential) applications. All of the major plumbing codes have adopted ASME A112.18.1 by reference. 

The 0.5 gpm standard for non-residential applications is frequently neglected by design professionals and building owners, as many people are simply unaware of this standard and the implementing plumbing codes and mistakenly believe that the maximum flow rate for faucets in non-residential applications is still the EPAct rate of 2.2 gallons per minute (8.3 L). The result of this confusion has been and continues to be the illegal installation of non-compliant faucets in some new commercial projects.