The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced earlier this month that there will be no updates or changes made to the WaterSense program, effectively ensuring the program’s long-term viability.
The WaterSense program was created to make finding water-efficient fixtures easier, without sacrificing performance. Products and services that are a part of the WaterSense program are certified to use 20 percent less water and save energy.
The WaterSense program has made a huge impact on water and monetary saving. By the end of 2018, the WaterSense program helped to save Americans 3.4 trillion gallons of water and more than $84.2 billion in water and energy bills.
“By maintaining the existing WaterSense specifications, EPA is ensuring responsible conservation of our Nation’s water supply without adding unnecessary specifications or creating undue burdens on the economy,” EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in a press release.
The EPA also announced it will engage with WaterSense stakeholders and the public to ensure WaterSense products will continue to help protect U.S. water supplies while saving consumers money and performing as well as or better than regular models.
In Oct. 2018 the American Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) formally authorized the EPA’s WaterSense program. A requirement of this law for the EPA was to “consider for review and revise, if necessary, any WaterSense performance criteria adopted before January 1, 2012.”
In Dec. 2018, the EPA began its specification review process and released the WaterSense Notice of Specification Review. This review provided information about potentially revising relevant specifications, and invited stakeholders to review and provide feedback on the notice.
The program receives incredible support across the building industry, and it has earned bipartisan support on Capitol Hill throughout its existence. This support is a direct result from the program’s successful outcomes in addition to the quality and integrity of the products bearing the WaterSense label, which are the result of federal government oversight and third-party certification.
Early water-efficient fixture models saved on water but lacked on quality leading to misconceptions on current water-efficient fixture models. To learn more about how water-efficient fixtures will save on your facility’s monthly water costs without sacrificing quality, read our past blog post.