Noted on the USA Building Design + Construction Network website recently:

Governor Schwarzenegger recently signed into law Assembly Bill (AB) No. 715, supported by the Plumbing Manufacturers Institute (PMI), that encourages and provides for the gradual conversion to higher efficiency toilets and urinals in California.

Many existing toilets average 1.6 gallons per flush.  High efficiency toilets only use 1.28 gallons per flush, or less; while high efficiency urinals use one-half gallon per flush, or less.  Under the new law, plumbing manufacturers have committed to producing at least half of their toilet models sold in California to be high efficiency by 2010.  By 2014, all toilets and urinals sold in the state will be high efficiency models.  The new high efficiency toilet and urinals will use less water, helping alleviate demands on water agencies in California.

This illustrates the increasingly acute water problems in many areas of the world.