In one of the biggest moves to reduce air pollution in the past decade, Southern California air regulators on Friday adopted a rule that will require pool and hot tub owners to go electric. The South Coast Air Quality Management District's governing board voted 9-1 to effectively phase out certain kinds of natural-gas-fired water-heating equipment in homes and businesses across its four-county jurisdiction: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and part of San Bernardino.
This is a major step forward in our region’s fight to clean the air for over 17 million people and invest in zero-emissions solutions.” The rule aligns with current building standards barring the installation of most gas-powered appliances in newly constructed buildings. For new buildings, installation of small gas-fired units will be prohibited starting in 2026. Bans on large gas-fired units and pool heaters will begin in 2027, and high-temperature units in 2029.