The City of San Diego no longer requires property owners to file a Water Conservation Certificate when selling their property. The City Council approved the change to the Municipal Code which went into effect on February 27, 2022.
In 1992, the City of San Diego developed several permanent water conservation provisions which were more stringent than industry standards at the time. The provisions were added to the Municipal Code and required property owners to remove non-conserving water devices and install ultra low-flow toilets and other low-flow fixtures in all new construction or permitted remodels. The City also required property owners to submit compliance disclosure information upon the sale of a property. The City determined that review and enforcement of a Water Conservation Certificate are no longer necessary nor legally required.
California approved Senate Bill 407 in 2009 and requires owners of residential single-family, multi-family properties, and commercial properties to replace all non-compliant plumbing fixtures with water-conserving plumbing fixtures. SB 407 requires the disclosure of non-compliant fixtures between the seller and buyer at the time of property transfer. This requirement can typically be disclosed on a Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS.)
Learn more about water conservation laws and disclosure obligations at CAR in the risk management section under legal Q&As and disclosures here. (Log-in required.)
For more information, visit the City’s website.