EPA marks 10th anniversary of WaterSense program

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of the WaterSense program, which promotes water-efficient products, programs and homes and has saved 1.5 trillion gallons of water over the past decade.

Through the program, the EPA partners with utilities, local governments, manufacturers, retailers, distributors and builders, amongst others, to promote water-saving products and practices. In addition to conserving enough water to supply all of California’s homes for a year, the agency estimates that the program has saved Americans $32.6 billion through reductions in their water and energy bills.

For a product to earn the WaterSense label, they must provide a water use reduction of at least 20 percent over standard models. Labeled products also provide energy use reductions due to the decreased need for treating, pumping and heating water. The EPA estimates there are now more than 16,000 labeled products on the market, including bathroom, kitchen and outdoor irrigation products.

"As we mark 10 years of WaterSense accomplishments, EPA thanks our WaterSense partners for helping American businesses and families save water through the use of water-efficient products and practices,” EPA Associate Administrator Joel Beauvais stated in a recent blog post.