He maintains that ultra-low flush toilets do not work properly, and that the government should not be in the business of setting such standards. The response from the media—Dave Barry, the New York Times, Time magazine, even NPR—has been to make a joke of the bill, and to reinforce the notion that water conservation in the bathroom is not something to take seriously. Laughter from the press has fueled support for the bill in Congress.

The bill is no laughing matter to water-scarce states and to those who will be asked to pay for new sewage treatment plants if the standards are repealed. It is also a direct threat to Mono Lake. The Mono Lake Committee helped generate federal and state funds for water conservation to offset the rewatering of the creeks that feed Mono Lake. If the bill becomes law, California and twelve other states’ standards will be jeopardized. California’s water supply agencies will be crippled in their ability to meet future water needs through conservation savings. The Metropolitan Water District assumes 45% of its conservation savings will come from passive plumbing replacements.