“Combining the outdoor water savings with indoor water savings, a home built in 2011 will use 38,000 gallons of water less per year,” the report states.

Additionally, with new construction accounting for less than 2 percent of the total housing stock, older California homes represent an even greater opportunity for water conservation, according to the report. California currently has over 7.5 million single-family homes with more than half being built before 1980 when the first plumbing standards went into effect. Replacing shower fixtures on a home built before 1980 to be in line with the 2011 standards would result in over 22,000 gallons of water saved annually, while replacing a toilet with one in code compliance would result in additional water savings of over 16,000 gallons annually.

The report concluded that while there is still significant potential for water savings in new California homes, strategies must be developed to reach the existing housing stock in order to achieve deep statewide reductions in the amount of water used in homes.