EPA WaterSense

EPA poster publicizing WaterSense products

WaterSense is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) program designed to encourage water efficiency in the United States through the use of a special label on consumer products. It was launched in June 2006.[1]

Background

WaterSense is a partnership program sponsored by EPA with the goal of protecting the future of the U.S. water supply. By promoting and enhancing the market for water efficient products and services, WaterSense makes every drop count by leveraging relationships with key utility, manufacturer and retail partners across the U.S.

WaterSense is not a regulatory program, but rather a voluntary program. EPA develops specifications for water efficient products through a public process. If a manufacturer makes a product that meets those specifications, the product is eligible for third-party testing to ensure the stated efficiency and performance criteria have been met. If the product passes the test, the manufacturer is rewarded with the right to put the WaterSense label on that product.[2]

WaterSense makes it easy for consumers to differentiate among products that use less water and reinforces that saving water is easy and often does not require a major lifestyle change.

Products

Poster promoting WaterSense showerheads

Toilets, bathroom sink faucets (and accessories), flushing urinals, single family new homes, showerheads and irrigation professionals who have undergone training by WaterSense-labeled certification programs are all products/services that are readily available to consumers.

Products that seek the WaterSense label must:

  • Achieve national water savings
  • Provide measurable results
  • Perform as well as or better than similar products in the same category
  • Be water-efficient, using at least 20 percent less water than EPA's fixture-specific water use baseline.[3]

Partners

To help get products on shelves and spread the word about WaterSense, EPA recruits partners in several different categories including:

  • Utilities, communities, state and local governments
  • Manufacturers
  • Retailers and distributors
  • Organizations that provide qualified certification programs
  • Certified professionals
  • Non-profit organizations and trade associations.

Partner responsibilities include:

  • Promoting WaterSense as well as water efficiency
  • Adhering to WaterSense partner logo guidelines
  • Providing annual data
  • Granting EPA rights to use partner name on the Agency website or alongside other program promotional efforts.

WaterSense also utilizes promotional partners who endorse and publicize the program among their constituents. Promotional partners include utilities, state and local governments, trade associations, and other non-governmental organizations. Landscape irrigation professionals who are certified by WaterSense-labeled certification programs can also become partners.[4]

Specifications

EPA’s first specification, released in January 2007, was written for WaterSense-labeled toilets. Final specifications have also been written for bathroom sink faucets, flushing urinals, new single family homes, showerheads and certification programs for irrigation professionals.[1]

The Agency issued revised draft specifications for landscape irrigation controllers in January 2011.[5]

Specifications for pre-rinse spray valves and water softeners are under development as of 2011.[6][7]

Awards

In 2008, the EPA initiated its WaterSense Partners of the Year award, designed to recognize organizations and individuals who did the most in the previous year to promote water efficiency and saving water.[8] The awards have four categories: promotional partner of the year; manufacturer partner of the year; retailer and distributor partner of the year; and, irrigation partner of the year. In 2010, the awards were expanded to include Excellence Awards, which recognize additional organizations and individuals whose WaterSense support stood out in one or more of the evaluation categories.[9] In 2013, WaterSense added an additional category to recognize partners for exemplary efforts with WaterSense initiatives called the Sustained Excellence Awards.


YearAwardOrganization
2013Sustained Excellence AwardKohler Co.
2013Sustained Excellence AwardLowe's Companies, Inc.
2013Promotional Partner of the YearAthens-Clarke County Public Utilities Department
2013Manufacturer Partner of the YearDelta Faucet Company
2013Manufacturer Partner of the YearNiagara Conservation
2013Retailer Partner of the YearThe Home Depot
2013Builder Partner of the YearKB Home
2013Professional Certifying Organization Partner of the Yearthe Irrigation Association
2013Irrigation Partner of the YearJohn Taylor
2013Excellence Award for Promoting WaterSense Labeled ProductsCity of Boulder Public Works/Utilities, Colorado
2013Excellence Award for Strategic CollaborationColorado Springs Utilities, Colorado
2013Excellence Award for Outreach and EducationPublic Service Commission of Wisconsin
2013Excellence Award for Outreach and EducationTown of Sharon, Massachusetts
2013Excellence Award for PromotionSonoma–Marin Water Saving Partnership, California
2013Excellence Award for Construction of Affordable WaterSense Labeled New HomesHabitat For Humanity of Metro Denver, Colorado
2012Promotional Partner of the YearColorado Springs Utilities
2012Manufacturer Partner of the YearAmerican Standard Brands
2012Manufacturer Partner of the YearKohler Co.
2012Retail/Distributor Partner of the YearLowe's Companies, Inc.
2012Builder Partner of the YearKB Home
2012Excellence Award for Fix a Leak Week ActivitiesArizona Municipal Water Users Association (AMWUA)
2012Excellence Award for Fix a Leak Week ActivitiesNew Mexico Office of the State Engineer (NMOSE)
2012Excellence Award for Outreach and EducationAmerican Water
2012Excellence Award for Strategic CollaborationAlliance for Water Efficiency (AWE)
2012Excellence Award for Employee EducationThe Home Depot
2011Promotional Partner of the YearCobb County Water System
2011Manufacturer Partner of the YearDelta Faucet Company
2011Retail/Distributor Partner of the YearThe Home Depot
2011Irrigation Partner of the YearChristopher Curry
2011Builder Partner of the YearKB Home
2011Licensed Certification Provider Partner of the YearEnergy Inspectors Corporation
2011Excellence Award for WaterSense Labeled Product PromotionsAmerican Water
2011Excellence Award for Strategic CollaborationPublic Service Commission of Wisconsin
2011Excellence Award for Strategic CollaborationLowe's Companies, Inc.
2011Excellence Award for Education and OutreachCity of Dallas Water Utilities
2011Excellence Award for Participation and Collaboration in Promotional EventsKohler Co.
2011Excellence Award for Participation and Collaboration in Promotional EventsMoen Incorporated
2011Excellence Award for Participation and Collaboration in Promotional EventsNiagara Conservation
2010Retailer/Distributor Partner of the YearLowe's Companies, Inc.
2010Manufacturer Partner of the YearMoen Incorporated
2010Promotional Partner of the YearCascade Water Alliance
2010Irrigation Partner of the YearJudy Benson
2010Excellence Award for Strategic CollaborationAlbuquerque-Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority
2010Excellence Award for Strategic CollaborationDrains Plus, Inc.
2010Excellence Award for Strategic CollaborationKohler Co.
2010Excellence Award for Strategic CollaborationRobert Dobson
2010Excellence Award for Labeled Products in the MarketplaceCaroma
2010Excellence Award for Demonstrated ResultsBryan Condray
2009Manufacturer Partner of the YearKohler Co.
2009Retailer/Distributor Partner of the YearLowe's Companies, Inc.
2009Promotional Partner of the YearCobb County Water System
2009Irrigation Partner of the YearBrian Vinchesi
2008Promotional Partner of the YearThe Saving Water Partnership
2008Manufacturer Partner of the YearKohler Co.
2008Retailer/Distributor Partner of the YearFerguson
2008Irrigation Partner of the YearTimothy Malooly
2008Manufacturer Partner of the YearKohler Co.

References

  1. 1 2 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Washington, DC. "WaterSense Timeline." Archived February 17, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Revised 2011-04-14.
  2. ↑ EPA. "WaterSense: Product Certification and Labeling." Revised 2011-04-14.
  3. ↑ EPA. "The WaterSense Label." Revised 2011-04-11.
  4. ↑ EPA. "WasterSense Partners." Revised 2011-04-14.
  5. ↑ EPA (2011). "Revised Draft Specification for Weather-Based Irrigation Controllers."
  6. ↑ EPA (2011). "Pre-Rinse Spray Valves."
  7. ↑ EPA (2011). "Cation Exchange Water Softeners."
  8. ↑ "Doing More with Less Water - First WaterSense Partners of the Year".
  9. ↑ "EPA Announces WaterSense Partners of the Year".
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