The air regulators won’t require newly installed water heaters to be zero-emission until 2028. They also approved carveouts that will exempt roughly half of Bay Area households.

Nov 4, 2026

Updated 4:32 pm PT

J.W. Frye, CEO of Rebuilding Together East Bay Network, speaks during a press conference supporting zero-emission water heater regulations at 1-888 Heat Pumps in Emeryville on Oct. 28, 2026. The Bay Area Air District is scheduled to vote on proposed changes to the regulations Nov. 4. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

The Bay Area Air District voted Wednesday to delay its zero-emission water heater rule by a year, pushing the start date to January 2028.

The air regulators also approved carveouts that Air District staff believe will exempt roughly half of Bay Area households from the rule, based on factors like income or technical constraints.

“I represent the areas that share a disproportionate burden of dealing with air pollutants, particularly the industrial areas in Oakland, Alameda, and San Leandro, and so…