Summary of Draft WaterSense® Labeled Homes Program, Version 2.0
Stakeholder Meeting
Summary of Draft WaterSense® Labeled Homes Program, Version 2.0
Stakeholder Meeting
May 14, 2019, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Eastern
Meeting Summary
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) WaterSense program recently released the
draft WaterSense Labeled Homes Program, Version 2.0. The EPA organized this meeting with
stakeholders to describe the revised program and solicit feedback.
The main objectives for this meeting were as follows:
•	Describe the updated technical requirements that homes will need to meet to earn the
WaterSense label.
•	Present the organizational requirements for prospective Home Certification
Organizations (HCOs).
•	Explain the process that will be used to evaluate water savings associated with a
prospective HCO's certification method.
•	Solicit feedback on the draft revision from stakeholders.
A PDF of this presentation can be reviewed on the WaterSense website at
www.epa.gov/watersense/homes-specification#version2homes. A full list of the attendees and
presenters is provided in Appendix A. The presentation discussion and participant questions
and comments are summarized below.
1.0 Introduction and Background on WaterSense Labeled Homes Program, Version 2.0
Amanda Forsey of Eastern Research Group, Inc. (ERG), a WaterSense contractor, welcomed
everyone to the meeting and noted that the presentation PDF would be posted on the public
website following the webinar.
Olga Cano of the EPA provided an overview of the webinar agenda. She polled attendees on
the types of organizations or services they represent. The results of the poll are shown in Figure
1.
EPA

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EPA —	Summary of Draft WaterSense® Labeled Homes Program, Version 2.0
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Which industry do you represent?
3%
11%
27%
24%
35%
Builder
Green building verification (certification, rater, verifier)
Irrigation (equipment or services)
Other
Water utility/local government
Figure 1. Poll Question #1 Results
Ms. Cano provided background on WaterSense and WaterSense labeled products. She
explained the goals of the WaterSense labeled homes program and its role in the WaterSense
program. Ms. Cano provided information on the America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018,
including the fact that it requires the EPA to "consider for review and revise, if necessary, any
WaterSense performance criteria adopted before January 1, 2012," which includes the
WaterSense Specification for Homes. Ms. Cano outlined the goals of Version 2.0 of the
WaterSense labeled homes program.
Ms. Cano defined important terminology introduced as part of Version 2.0. She identified the
program documents and their application in the revised program structure. Ms. Cano reviewed
the procedures for 1) WaterSense approving an HCO and proposed certification method (PCM),
and 2) HCOs certifying and issuing the WaterSense label to homes. She then outlined potential
benefits of the revised program structure for all stakeholders, which included reducing
prescriptive requirements and retaining a focus on saving water.
Participant Questions and Comments
Q: Does the EPA have model ordinance language developed to encourage or at least reduce
barriers to development approval?
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A: Jonah Schein of the EPA explained that WaterSense is a voluntary program and is not set
up to develop codes. If the question intended to ask whether the WaterSense structure
could be adapted for the basis of a requirement, WaterSense has not currently developed
anything for those purposes, but attendees should submit comments if that is something
they would like to see.
Q: How many homes were certified under the previous version of the specification?
A: Mr. Schein explained that there has not been strong reporting under the current version of
the program, and as a result, WaterSense does not have a good idea of the number of
labeled homes. That will hopefully be improved by the revision, since data on certified
homes will be submitted directly by the HCOs.
Q: Can you explain the difference between a designee and an HCO?
A: Mr. Schein said that the distinction was created in response to differences in the structures
of existing home certification organizations. Some HCOs directly oversee the certification
process, whereas others work through a network of quality assurance designees (QADs). In
the latter scenario, the QADs play a crucial role in ensuring that certified homes meet
certification requirements. WaterSense will not require the use of a designee, but wants to
ensure that organizations that do use designees will be able to participate in the revised
program.
Q: Will the EPA make the names of organizations who are in the process of becoming HCOs
available to the public? This is important to stakeholders like manufacturers, who would like
to assist/influence the development of the WACMs in development.
A: Mr. Schein said that the EPA will publicize the list of approved HCOs but will likely not be
able to disclose pending information about HCO applicants in any formal manner.
Q: Will there be additional testing required to become a WaterSense verifier if we already are
A: Mr. Schein said that the question would likely be answered later in the presentation.
2.0 WaterSense Draft Specification for Homes, Version 2.0
Ms. Cano reviewed the WaterSense Draft Specification for Homes, Version 2.0. She described
the purpose and scope of the specification and explained the purpose of the Mandatory
Checklist, which is included as an appendix to the specification. Ms. Cano displayed the
Mandatory Checklist and discussed the categories of criteria included in it. She pointed out that,
although the Mandatory Checklist does not include outdoor requirements, the revised
WaterSense labeled homes program will still address outdoor water use; homes will likely not
meet the water efficiency threshold without incorporating outdoor measures. Ms. Cano
illustrated this concept with examples of water use and approaches to water efficiency for
homes located in Duluth, Minnesota, and Phoenix, Arizona.
one?
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Ms. Cano addressed other topics related to the specification. She reviewed the role of domestic
hot water distribution in achieving water savings, and she explained the rationale behind
WaterSense's criteria being based on percent reduction. Ms. Cano described that homes can
demonstrate adherence to the water efficiency criteria by certifying to an HCO's WACM, which
will have been approved by WaterSense. She also explained the reasoning behind selecting 30
percent as the water efficiency threshold.
Participant Questions and Comments
Q: Can you confirm whether the revised specification will include renovated homes?
A: Ms. Cano said that the revision will apply to both new construction and existing homes.
Because of its flexibility and the simplified checklist, the revised program should make it
more achievable for existing homes to be labeled.
Q: Would toilets, faucets and showerheads that are not WaterSense labeled but are rated to be
better in water savings be considered acceptable under this program?
A: Mr. Schein said that the EPA would not consider them to meet the criteria on the Mandatory
Checklist, because we cannot speak to the performance of products that are not certified to
WaterSense criteria. The EPA wants to make sure that WaterSense labeled homes will
meet performance expectations as well as efficiency goals, and requiring the WaterSense
label is the best way to do so.
Q: What about a home that has higher than 30 percent savings but has one showerhead that is
not WaterSense labeled? Would that count?
A: Ms. Cano said that all plumbing fixtures must be WaterSense labeled in order to meet the
certification requirements. Mr. Schein added that this point connects back to user
expectations. The EPA wants for the WaterSense label to mean high-performing and
efficient with regard to water use.
3.0 WaterSense Draft Specification for Homes, Version 2.0
Kathleen Onorevole of ERG discussed the WaterSense Draft Home Certification System,
Version 2.0. She reviewed the main roles of the four parties involved in the revised WaterSense
labeled homes program, then identified the purpose and content of the certification system. Ms.
Onorevole noted that the HCO/PCM application is included as an appendix to the certification
system.
Ms. Onorevole discussed the goals and details of each of the six organizational requirements
described in the certification system: independent oversight; quality assurance; verifier training
and authorization; home verification protocols; impartiality; and messaging and reporting. She
described the role of designees and reviewed certification requirements that cannot be
delegated. Ms. Onorevole also reviewed procedures that HCOs are required to implement if
they use designees.
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Ms. Onorevole described the EPA's reasoning for setting requirements for the certification
method development process. She reviewed the three acceptable processes for certification
method development and discussed the key components of the American National Standards
Institute (ANSI) essential requirements.
Participant Questions and Comments
Q: Could a potential HCO (e.g., a water supplier) develop its own WACM that mirrors the
WACM of another HCO (e.g., RESNET), but with say a 5 percent difference? Would this
enable the other HCO to act as a designee for the water supplier's WACM, as long as some
element is retained by the water supplier HCO?
A: Mr. Schein said that WaterSense would likely approve a jurisdiction adopting a WACM that
had already been approved and that was modified with additional requirements or a slightly
more stringent water efficiency threshold. This happens frequently in ENERGY STAR;
utilities often adopt the ENERGY STAR certification with additional requirements specific to
the utility. If the model WACM was substantially changed or if requirements were removed,
WaterSense would likely need to reevaluate the PCM.
Q: Does EPA require ongoing training or continuing education beyond initial training?
A: Mr. Schein said that HCOs are responsible for determining the training requirements that are
necessary based on their methodology for calculating water efficiency. WaterSense requires
that HCOs must develop WACM-specific training, and that they record and monitor verifiers'
training records.
Editor's Note: Later in the presentation, Mr. Schein clarified that WaterSense does not
specifically require that HCOs provide or require continuing education. WaterSense does,
however, require that HCOs provide ongoing training and updates on any changes to the
WaterSense labeled homes program and/or the WACM.
4.0 WaterSense Technical Evaluation Process for Approving Home Certification
Methods, Version 1.0
Mr. Schein reviewed the WaterSense Technical Evaluation Process for Approving Home
Certification Methods, Version 1.0. He outlined the purpose of the technical evaluation and the
options for PCM scope, including new and existing homes and single-family and multifamily
buildings. Mr. Schein defined the "reference home" concept and identified the four types of
single-family and multifamily buildings that would be used as reference homes. He also showed
tables illustrating the features of each reference home, which included information such as area
of the home's footprint, landscape areas, and the number of plumbing fixtures and appliances.
Mr. Schein explained that WaterSense will evaluate a prospective HCO's PCM using home and
landscape designs that represent the least efficient home that could still earn the WaterSense
label. He displayed the formula used to calculate total water use associated with a PCM's least
efficient home. Mr. Schein listed the variety of indoor and outdoor features that could impact
water use and savings in a home, and he explained the assumptions and references that
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WaterSense used to calculate water usage by feature. He provided examples of these water
use calculations for toilets and clothes washers.
Mr. Schein presented two example evaluations for hypothetical PCMs and identified problems
that were likely to prevent the PCMs from being approved.
Participant Questions and Comments
Q: I live and work in a moist climate. Irrigation is not very common. Would simply not having an
irrigation system installed count toward the 30 percent reduction from a baseline home?
A: Mr. Schein said that, in the technical evaluation, WaterSense will assume that homes have
automatic irrigation, to protect the program. Regardless of the scenario, any program in a
cool climate that properly accounts for indoor/outdoor water use will probably not have many
requirements for outdoor water efficiency. Outdoor water requirements in cool climates are
unlikely to substantially reduce overall water use; there would not be much outdoor water
use in the first place compared to homes in more arid regions of the country.
Overall, the revised program should lead to requirements that are more adaptable to climate
differences.
Q: For multifamily homes, will all units need to be verified, or just a sampling of them?
A: Mr. Schein said that will depend on the HCO's WACM. However, WaterSense will evaluate
whether the HCO's process (whether for individual sampling or a sampling protocol) will
accurately identify homes that meet the efficiency requirements. Prospective HCOs should
present a reasonable approach for evaluation. WaterSense would accept a sampling
protocol for multifamily buildings, but would ask questions such as: How many homes need
to be inspected? What's the permissible amount of time between units' completion to be
eligible for sampling? What type of records have to be kept? Is there a reasonable degree of
randomness, or is it clear to the builder/developer which homes will be inspected?
5.0 Estimated Water and Energy Savings
Mr. Schein then discussed the estimated water and energy savings associated with the revised
WaterSense labeled homes program. The average home is expected to save between 30,800
and 77,300 gallons per year, depending on climate. The average home is expected to save
approximately 789 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity by not needing to heat water saved
through increased efficiency. In addition, the average home will save approximately 173 kWh of
electricity by not supplying water saved and not treating indoor water saved. Mr. Schein
explained that the average home will likely save between $378 and $954 per year, accounting
for costs associated with water/wastewater and electric or natural gas water heating.
Mr. Schein reviewed non-monetary benefits of the revised WaterSense labeled homes program
for WaterSense at large and for some of the stakeholders involved.
There were no questions asked following Mr. Schein's review of estimated energy and water
savings.
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Summary of Draft WaterSense® Labeled Homes Program, Version 2.0
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6.0 Partnership and Labeling and Next Steps
Mr. Schein reviewed the procedures for partnership and labeling. He described the steps for
builder partners to participate in the program. Mr. Schein explained that verifiers will be referred
to as WaterSense home verifiers and will be given a new promotional mark. He reviewed the
requirements for HCOs, from submitting an application to participating in the program.
Mr. Schein reviewed the proposed timeline for the revision. He noted that the public comment
period be extended to June 18, 2019. Mr. Schein outlined the proposed transition from Version
1.2 to Version 2.0, and encouraged attendees to submit comments, data and questions to
watersense-programs@erg.com during the comment period. He said that attendees can also
contact the WaterSense Helpline at watersense@epa.gov or (866) WTR-SENS (987-7367).
Mr. Schein polled the audience on whether they intended to submit comments on the draft
WaterSense Labeled Homes Program, Version 2.0. The results are shown in Figure 2.
EPA

WaterSense
Do you intend to submit comments on the draft
WaterSense Labeled Homes Program, Version 2.0?
¦ No ¦ Yes
Figure 2. Poll Question #2 Results
Participant Questions and Comments
Q: What was the timeframe to submit comments again?
A: Mr. Schein said that WaterSense planned to take comments through June 18, 2019.
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Q: For the 30 percent water savings, is there a certain calculator we should use?
A: Mr. Schein said that, in practice, the HCO would select a water savings calculator that suits
its WACM, which allows for tailoring the program to its needs and the marketplace.
Attendees can review the technical evaluation protocol, posted on the WaterSense website,
to understand how WaterSense will evaluate PCMs to determine whether they achieve the
required water savings.
Q: How are the irrigation water use estimates being calculated?
A: Mr. Schein explained that the outdoor water use calculations are included in the technical
evaluation. WaterSense has developed two ways to calculate outdoor water use. One is a
theoretical irrigation requirement based on data from the Water Research Foundation (WRF)
Residential End Uses of Water Study, Version 2. WaterSense has modified the estimated
demand of the landscape based on field data, since most residential landscapes are not
irrigated to full plant water requirements. The other approach uses flow rate and irrigation
technology to calculate outdoor water use. Attendees can review the technical evaluation
protocol for more details.
Q: Are there irrigation system efficiency criteria similar to the 0.65 distribution uniformity (DU)
that is in the current specification?
A: Mr. Schein said that the only requirements that must be completed for homes to be eligible
for the WaterSense label under the revised program are in the Mandatory Checklist. An
HCO can decide whether to include requirements pertaining to improved DU in its PCM. If it
does, the HCO should explain its plan to evaluate water efficiency associated with DU in its
application.
Q: Is the Water Budget Tool intended to be used for irrigation water use estimates?
A: Mr. Schein explained that the WaterSense Water Budget Tool is an important part of the
Version 1.2 requirements for WaterSense labeled homes. He noted that WaterSense does
not think that the Water Budget Tool is not an accurate estimator of water use. Mr. Schein
said that the Water Budget Tool is reasonably good at estimating the efficiency during
landscape planning and irrigation system design, and it was used for this purpose in the
current version of the program.
Mr. Schein said that WaterSense does not propose to continue using its Water Budget Tool
in Version 2.0 of the program. The Water Budget Tool is valuable for individuals seeking
guidance on creating an efficient landscape or irrigation system, and WaterSense plans to
continue supporting it in the immediate future, because many WaterSense partners use the
tool.
Q: What is the lead time for verifier visits normally? Is the EPA hiring more for this position to
meet the demand?
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A: Mr. Schein clarified that verifiers do not work for WaterSense or the EPA. They are
independent, third-party individuals who are not EPA employees or contractors in any way.
Mr. Schein explained that verifiers are usually not given much lead time. There is a very
small period of time between the completion of a house and its delivery, and verifiers must
conduct verification during that time.
Q: Shouldn't WaterSense include minimum irrigation efficiency standards, since that's where
most of the water in a home is used?
A: Mr. Schein said that outdoors is where most of a home's water can be used, but is not
necessarily where it is used. The climate helps determine whether this is the case. When
WaterSense evaluates whether to put a feature on the Mandatory Checklist, it asks whether
a home can be high efficiency and high performing with regard to water use without that
feature. For example, requiring WaterSense labeled toilets is the best way to ensure that
toilets will meet user expectations for both performance and efficiency.
In the case of outdoor requirements, WaterSense would ask whether irrigation requirements
make sense for a home with a small yard in a cool climate with a short irrigation season.
That home could likely be considered high performing and water-efficient without a lot of
mandatory outdoor features. Homes in arid regions of the country will have to make
substantial reductions in outdoor water use to meet the water efficiency threshold, because
a large portion of the home's water use will be outdoors. The percent reduction requirement
scales with climate and will effectively force builders to pay attention to outdoor water
savings.
Ms. Forsey adjourned the meeting by encouraging attendees to submit comments to
watersense-programs@erg.com and thanking everyone for their participation.
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Appendix A: Meeting Participants
Attendee
Organization
Fernando Abruna
Abruna and Musgrave, Architects
Fabio Acosta
Acosta Irrigations & Water Audits
Catalina Alanis
Porcelana Corona de Mexico (Vortens)
Laura Allen
Greywater Action
Evan Auld
ICF
Gabriel Ayala
Enovative Group, Inc.
Gursharan Bains
Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE)
Nora Beck
Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning
Veronica Blette
U.S. EPA
Justin Burks
Santa Clara Valley Water District (California)
Shauna Burnell
Waterkind / City of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada,
Contractor
Scott Campbell
Advanced Conservation Technology, Inc., D'MAND Kontrol
Systems
Bernard Cardenas
University of Florida
Aisling Carlson
Flo Technologies, Inc.
Keeli Carlton
City of Winter Haven (Florida)
Steve Carper
Tualatin Valley Water District (Oregon)
Thomas Carroll
Water Engineering, Inc.
Armando Cobo
Armando Cobo, Designer
Elizabeth Coe
Ecoe Company
Cheryl Coltes
Southern Nevada Water Authority
Gerald Coons
Consultant
Kelli Cooper
City of Moscow, Idaho
Stephanie Cote
City of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Michelle Diller
National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)
Joel Gilbert Duran Chavez
Conserving S.R.L.
Kalani Durham
Santa Barbara County Water Agency (California)
Sean Evensen-Shanley
Viridiant
Jimmy Fera
Steven Winter Associates, Inc.
Michelle Foster
Home Innovation Research Labs
Nathan Fournier
Property Providers, LLC
Rob Furioso
Symmons
Rochelle Gandour-Rood
Tacoma Water (Washington)
Cody Gatland
Green Insight, LLC
Jeffrey Gerbick
Delta Faucet Company
Julie Gillins
Washington County Water Conservancy District (Utah)
Kat Godlewski
ICF
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Attendee
Organization
James Gordon
Metro Landscape Irrigation
Elliott Granados
Vortens
Doug Greenlund
City of Spokane (Washington)
Robert Hafen
Pinnacle Irrigation & Landscape
Scott Hawthorne
Shine Bathroom Technologies Inc.
Jacob Hooper
Swiftsure Energy Services, LLC
Ed Hoppe
City of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
Sarah Hultquist
City of Lewisville (Texas)
Gary Hurley
City Water, Light, and Power (Illinois)
Nicholas Hurst
U.S. EPA
Nikki Jackson
American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
Jim Kemper
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Frank Kinder
Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District
Benjamin Knopp
Think Little Home Energy, LLC
John Koeller
Koeller and Company
Karen Koppett
Santa Clara Valley Water District (California)
Julie Kretz
Coachella Valley Water District (California)
Danny Kruse Sr
Certified Irrigation Designs
Robert Laflamme
L'lmage Home Products
CJ Lagan
LIXIL Water Technology Americas
Ray Lamovec
IrriGreen
Jess Land
Elevation Inspections
Elena Layugan
Upper District
Beth Livingston
U.S. EPA
Laurel Loftin
Athens-Clarke County Water Conservation Office (Georgia)
Gianna Lombardi
Denver Water
Gina Lombardo
Energy Inspectors
Maureen Mahle
Steven Winter Associates, Inc.
Christine Manitta
Stantec
Megan Marsee
Bernalillo County Water Conservation Program (New Mexico)
Patrick J. Martin
Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department
Heather McCune
Bassenian Lagoni
Cary McElhinney
U.S. EPA Region 5
Darrel McMaster
Sustainable Homes, Inc.
Brent Mecham
Irrigation Association
Jayant Mehta
23Solar
Richard Mest
Master Water Conditioning Corporation
Mariel Miller
Fort Collins Utilities (Colorado)
Akshay Mishra
ANSI
Shahin Moinian
ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES)
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Attendee
Organization
Andrew Morris
Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District
Robyn Navarra
Zone 7 Water Agency
Tara O'Hare
U.S. EPA
Allie Orrego
Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District
Julie Ortiz
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
Ryan Oswald
Pure Eco
Patricio Pacheco
City of Santa Fe Water Conservation Office (New Mexico)
Thomas Pape
Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE) / Best Management
Partners
Salvador Pena
Fluidmaster
JP Perez
U.S. EPA
Julian Perez
CONSERVEMOS
Robert Pickering
ERG
Jason Puffenbarger
Green Building Consulting
Doug Pushard
HarvestH2o, LLC
Dawn Qualley
ICC-ES
Phill R
Reyes Landscape
Christine Rausch
Columbia Gas of Ohio
Julie Riddle
SiteOne Landscape Supply
Sarah Roth
Irrigation Association
Val Santos
St. Lucie County Utilities (Florida)
Jason Schneemann
Whirlpool
Kirsten Shaw
Lifelong Home Renovations
Brian Skeens
Jacobs
Julie Smitherman
City of Ashland (Oregon)
Rob Starr
The Toro Company
Jaclyn Toole
NAHB
Thea Trejo
Sage Conservation
Sarah Vidra
Incline Village General Improvement District (Nevada)
Ron Wolfarth
Rain Bird Corporation
Pam Worner
Green Dog Enterprises, Inc.
Tony Zaccaria
Masters Supply
Presenter
Organization
Jonah Schein
U.S. EPA
Olga Cano
U.S. EPA
Amanda Forsey
ERG
Kathleen Onorevole
ERG
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