WaterSense® Labeled Mew Homes WaterSense Building a new home is a big investment for you and your family's future. But when you build a water-efficient home, you're investing in the future of your community and the planet as well. The WaterSense program is making it easy for buyers to identify new homes that save both water and energy. WaterSense labeled homes are independently certified to use 20 percent less water than typical new homes. Residential water use accounts for more than half of the publicly supplied water in the United States. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established WaterSense to protect the future of the nation's water supply and to promote water- efficient products and services with a simple, easy-to-identify label. Homes that are built to meet EPA's specification can earn the WaterSense label. EPA criteria include Water- Sense labeled plumbing fixtures, efficient hot water delivery systems, smart landscape design, and other features. WaterSense labeled new homes are indepen- dently certified to meet these criteria, giving home- buyers confidence that the home will really save water. How Can Homes Save Water? Compared to a traditional home, a WaterSense labeled new home can help a family of four reduce their water use by as much as 50,000 gallons per year—enough water to wash more than 2,000 loads of laundry. In addition to WaterSense labeled plumbing fixtures, these new homes include ENERGY STAR® qualified dishwashers and clothes washers, if those appliances are installed when the home is built. EV Studio Planning, LLC WaterSense labeled new homes also incorporate a hot water distribution system that decreases the amount of time it takes for hot water to reach the faucet or shower—so residents don't waste time, energy, and thousands of gallons waiting for hot water to reach the tap or tub. Outdoors, builders have the option of developing an outdoor"water budgef'and planning the landscaping accordingly, or ensuring any area they landscape uses a variety of water-efficient plantings and features, with less than 40 percent covered by grass. WaterSense labeled homes feature water-efficient landscaping and irrigation (if an irrigation system is installed). Move Into an Efficient Home Builders interested in constructing water-efficient homes can join the WaterSense program as partners and receive tools to support their water-efficiency ef- forts. Once they complete a home, an EPA licensed cer- tification provider ensures the home is inspected and certified to meet the WaterSense specification. To learn more about the WaterSense new homes program or to find a WaterSense builder partner near you, visit www. epa.gov/watersense/. March 2012 (866) WTR-SENS (987-7367) • www.epa.gov/watersense • watersense@epa.gov EPA-F-09-018 ------- |