Every Drop Counts 832F06014 EBi ^•R™ WaterSense The Value of Water Efficiency In the United States, our growing population is put- ting stress on our available water supplies, and water resource protection has become a national priority. Using water more efficiently helps preserve water supplies for future generations, saves money, and reduces stress on water systems and the environment. Governments, utilities, manufacturers, businesses, communities, and individual consumers across the country can help protect our limited water resources by purchasing water-efficient products and adopting water-efficient practices. WaterSenseSM, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) voluntary partnership program, seeks to pro- mote water efficiency and enhance the market for water-efficient products and services. Fundamentally, the goal of WaterSense is to decrease indoor and outdoor non-agricultural water use through high- efficiency products and simple practices. The program helps consumers identify water-efficient products in the marketplace, while ensuring product performance and encouraging innovation in manufacturing. How the Program Works WaterSense is building the national brand for water efficiency, a symbol that represents the importance of protecting water resources in the United States. Independent, third- party agencies will certify that products meet EPA criteria for water efficiency and perform- ance by following testing and verification protocols specific to each product category. Products that are certified to meet EPA specifications are allowed to bear the WaterSense label. EPA has developed specifications for professional landscape irrigation certification programs and high- efficiency toilets (HETs) that use less than 1.3 gallons per flush. In the future, EPA will evaluate more opportunities, ranging from additional irrigation products and additional residential plumbing fixtures to indoor commercial products. EPA will also reach out to home builders, schools, and others to promote water efficiency. Product labeling, together with broad education/outreach campaigns and partner- ships with key stakeholders, will help transform the marketplace by encouraging consumers and organi- zations to purchase water-efficient products. Program Partnerships In addition to developing product specifications, EPA provides technical information and recognizes leader- ship in water efficiency through formal partnership agreements with program partners. Manufacturers committed to water efficiency and product innovation can differentiate their products from others in the marketplace, build consumer demand, and gain national recognition for their high-efficiency, high- performance products. Utilities, non-profit organiza- tions, and state and local governments will help pro- mote the WaterSense program through public aware- ness campaigns to attain local water conservation goals. Retailers and distributors will stock and pro- mote WaterSense labeled products. EPA will work continuously to build brand awareness across a wide range of industrial, commercial, and consumer sectors through extensive outreach and education initiatives. Through this national program, WaterSense hopes to make water-efficient products and practices commonplace. Recycled/Recyclable—Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on 100% Process Chlorine Free Recycled Paper. October 2006 EPA-832-F-06-014 ------- |