EPA launched its
WaterSense partnership program in 2007 with the help of water utilities, manufacturers and test labs to provide an easily identifiable labeling system that signals the opportunity to lower water bills for homes and business.
Similar to the EPA’s ENERGY STAR program, WaterSense establishes stringent guidelines that determine whether or not a product or service is deserving of the WaterSense seal, providing homeowners and Mother Earth beneficial, efficient solutions.
By making just a few WaterSense-approved switches, the average household can lower water bills, cutting about $170 from a typical annual $500 water bill. Spread that effort to every U.S. household, and we’d collectively be saving more than three trillion gallons of water and more than $18 billion dollars per year!
WaterSense and its partners have been working hard to make that dream a reality, and labeled products are now readily available in the following categories:
- High-efficiency toilets (HETs): These operate at 1.28 gallons per flush versus the 3.5 gpf of older, inefficient models, and can reduce water usage by 60 percent.
- Bathroom sink faucets: Faucets and accessories such as faucet aerators can reduce standard flow by more than 30 percent without sacrificing performance.
- Landscape irrigation services: A qualified professional can design an irrigation system that reduces water use by 15 percent or about 9,000 gallons annually.
High-efficiency showerheads and irrigation controls are among other solutions on the way, so stay tuned for more WaterSense developments. In the meantime, here are a few more ways to help cut water costs:
- Fix leaking fixtures promptly
- Stopper the tub drain immediately
- Adjust water temperature as you fill a bath
- Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth
- Always use full laundry loads
- Put your yard on a drip irrigation system
