Denver utility managers bothered by the city’s penchant for old-style porcelain toilets that use twice as much water as federal standards are pushing for a legislative fix.

They’ve asked lawmakers to consider setting a statewide toilet standard of 1.28 gallons per flush.

Toilets account for about a quarter of household water use, and the new standard could save 44,000 acre-feet of water a year by 2050. An acre-foot is said to be enough to serve the needs of two families of four for a year.

Toilet makers, who supported similar limits in California and Texas, have embraced the idea.

New toilets sold today use a maximum of 1.6 gallons per flush, in compliance with Environmental Protection Agency limits set in the 1990s.

But in Denver, an abundance of homes still have old-style fixtures that use an average volume of 3.14 gallons per flush, according to Denver Water’s latest “end-use study.”

Denver Water conservation manager Melissa Elliott recently pitched the limit to the state legislature’s interim Water Resources Committee.

“There’s nothing in our idea which says you have to go out and replace your toilet,” Elliott said.

The new law would ensure that “manufacturers could not sell products that use more than 1.28 gallons.”

State Sen. Gail Schwartz, D-Snowmass Village, said the proposal will be considered along with other water-conservation measures that have become a top priority for Colorado.

“This not only saves water consumption overall, but it also provides an opportunity to reduce the amount of water sent to wastewater treatment,” she said. “If consumers can save money and also work toward saving water, I think this might be popular.”

Toilet manufacturers backed the measures because they are eager for more people to buy new products. Plumbing Manufacturers International “drove” the passage of flush limits in California and Texas, PMI executive director Barbara Higgens said.

“People typically only replace a toilet when something goes wrong,” she said. “We really like them to embrace the new technology, just as they would a computer or cellphone.”

Denver Water offers $75 rebates for low-flow toilets, which cost from $68 to $5,000 with many models available for around $200. They’ve given 60,000 rebates since 2007.

However, some residents seem to cling to tradition, said Spence Sanders, who owns Doctor Plumber and installs and repairs toilets around the metro area.

Classic porcelain toilets salvaged from construction projects can be sold for up to $250. Moreover, Denver’s sewerage system apparently was designed for a higher volume of water compared with what low-flow fixtures produce, Sanders said.

“What happens is, the solids get left behind in the sewers,” he said. “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.”