2011 WaterSense Partners of the Year Since the program's launch in 2006, WaterSense labeled products have helped consumers save 125 billion gallons of water and $2 billion in water and energy bills. These results reflect the effort WaterSense partners have undertaken to make the label synonymous with water effi- ciency and performance. More than 2,200 WaterSense partners have labeled and sold more than 4,000 models of plumbing products, built more than 55 WaterSense labeled homes, and educated countless consumers on the benefits of water efficiency. The WaterSense Partner of the Year awards recognize organizations and individuals in six categories who have made extraordinary efforts to: 4 Advance the WaterSense mission Increase awareness about WaterSense in a measurable way EPA Demonstrate overall excellence in the water-efficiency arena 8 € 9011 PARTNER The following partners stood out for their successful efforts to help Americans save water in 2010. Promotional Partner of the Year Cobb County Water System (Georgia) Cobb County Water System in suburban Atlanta, a 2009 Water- Sense Partner of the Year, stepped up its Cobb County.,,Expect the Best! water-efficiency efforts in 2010 by introducing thousands of consumers to WaterSense, promoting WaterSense labeled new homes, and training irrigation professionals. The water system, which serves 680,000 resi- dents, gave 75 WaterSense-related presentations in 2010 and coordinated with other WaterSense partners to host a We're for Water educational event at the Georgia Aquarium, featuring a fun and engaging Plinko game with WaterSense's "Check, Twist, and Replace"messaging. To support Water- Sense labeled new homes, Cobb County Water System chaired a committee to regionalize the guid- ance for the outdoor portion of the Water- Sense New Homes Specification and trained local irrigation and landscape profes- sionals on WaterSense new homes criteria. Working with the Georgia Homebuild- ers Association and the Metro Atlanta Home Builders Association, Cobb County's ef- forts were vital to educating the Atlanta builder community on the WaterSense specification. A young visitor tries her luck at the "Check, Twist, Replace" Plinko game at Cobb County Water Authority's edu- cational event at the Georgia Aquarium. ------- These outreach efforts have resulted in grow ing consumer awareness. A 2010 online survey showed that more than 80 percent of respon- dents were familiar with WaterSense, compared to just 10 percent a few years ago. And aware ness isn't the only measure of success; Cobb County saw per capita water use drop from 126 gallons per person per day in 2005, when it be gan its water efficiency program, to 113 gallons per person per day in 2010. development manager with Delta Faucet Com- pany, appeared on a local TV show to encourage consumers to fix household leaks. Not only is Delta Faucet Company producing and promoting WaterSense labeled showerheads, but these products also are earning accolades. One of the company's water-efficient showerheads received the Building Products magazine's 2010 Green Product Award for being one of the best new eco-friendly products for the home. Manufacturer Partner of the Year ©DELTA FAUCET COMPANY Delta Faucet Company Delta Faucet Com- pany continued its commitment to help WaterSense increase the number of labeled products including the first Water- Sense labeled showerheads in the marketplace last year. By the end of 2010, nearly 40 percent of the company's showerhead shipments and more than 85 percent of its lavatory faucets were WaterSense labeled. More than two-thirds of Delta Faucet Company's products from the Delta®, Brizo®, and Peerless® faucet brands now offer WaterSense labeled options, making it easy for consumers to save water with style. Delta Faucet Company played an integral role in the WaterSense showerhead specification devel- opment process by leading the effort to develop testing equipment and procedures to certify Wa terSense labeled showerheads.The company de veloped a methodology to verify water-efficient showerhead performance and water savings to ensure that WaterSense labeled showerheads meet users'performance expectations. The company also supplemented its product development work with widespread promotion of water-efficient products and practices. An email campaign promoted the release of the Wa terSense showerhead specification, while a new "Green at Delta" section of the company website provided customers with access to WaterSense la- beled products. In addition, during WaterSense's Fix a Leak Week, Paul Patton, a senior product Retail/Distributor Partner of the Year The Home Depot The Home Depot calcu- lates that it helped its customers save 27 billion gallons of water and $174 million on water utility bills in 2010 by offering a com- plete line of WaterSense labeled products.The Home Depot was the first major retailer to sell only WaterSense labeled lavatory faucets, and it now sells WaterSense labeled products in all of its 2,000 retail locations across the United States. More than two-thirds of its bathroom fixture stock carries the WaterSense label. While new displays and in-aisle signage ampli- fied The Home Depot's promotion of WaterSense labeled products, store demonstrations and customer workshops drove the message home The Home Depot employees are always knowledgeable about WaterSense - the company offers its staff product knowledge classes, training courses, and holds discussions on its internal social network. ------- at a personal level.To ensure that its employees understand the benefits of WaterSense labeled products,The Home Depot offers product knowledge classes, seasonal apron cards, train- ing courses, and discussions on its internal social network. On Earth Day 2010, the company gave away nearly half a million WaterSense labeled faucet aerators as part of an attention-grabbing display in New York City's Times Square. The Home Depot included WaterSense in its "Lowering the Cost of Maintaining Your Home" campaign, which was promoted across all of the company's social marketing vehicles. The company's website collected 1.1 billion impres- sions for the WaterSense program in 2010, often through visits to WaterSense educational "pods" or through the Eco Options microsite. These on- line efforts supported an increase in online sales of WaterSense labeled toilets by more than 500 percent last year. Irrigation Partner of the Year Christopher Curry Christopher Curry, a principal at Sweeney + Associates Irrigation Design and Consulting in Orange, California, has been designing water-efficient irriga- tion systems for a de cade. Ranging in size from small residences to large regional parks, his projects have two things in common: they take advantage of smart irrigation technology and they use watering schedules and annual water budgets. In 2010, Curry presented Riverside, California with a drip irrigation plan for some of the city's medians. With a projected savings of one million gallons of water per year, reduced overflow into the streets, and more cost-effective installation, Riverside decided not only to install drip irriga- tion systems in those medians, but in all of the medians across the city. KB Home made history at its Springwood community in Roseville, California last year when it completed construction of the first new homes built to the WaterSense New Homes Specification. Curry also helped the San Diego Park & Recre ation Department acquire a new rotor system that uses recycled water and a central control system. The project is expected to save the city up to three million gallons of water per year on just ten acres of turf. Curry served as a tireless advocate for Water- Sense labeled certification programs for irriga- tion professionals last year. As a design member of the American Society of Irrigation Consultants, he promoted certification by WaterSense labeled programs and the benefits of performing audits after installing design projects. His emphasis on auditing also led Curry to participate in Irrigation Association webinars to discuss standards for irrigation efficiencies and irrigation audit guide lines, which are the backbone of the calculations used to determine water budgets. Builder Partner of the Year KB Home In November 2010, national builder KB Home made history at its Springwood commu- nity in Roseville, Califor- nia, when it completed construction of the first new homes built to the WaterSense New Homes Specification. In addi- tion to committing to build every home in the KB HOME 3 ------- Springwood community to earn the WaterSense label, KB Home quickly expanded its offerings of WaterSense labeled new homes to other commu- nities in Florida and Texas. Each WaterSense labeled home is designed to use 20 percent less water than a typical new home inside and out—for a family of four, that's a difference of about 50,000 gallons of water per year compared to a traditional home, or enough for nearly 2,000 loads of laundry! In addition to building the first WaterSense labeled homes, the company has incorporated WaterSense labeled products into every one of the thousands of homes it builds each year across the country. To educate homeowners on the benefits of sav- ing water, KB Home placed displays highlight- ing WaterSense in its sales offices. As part of the company's Built to Order™ program, homebuyers can select WaterSense labeled products and ad- ditional water-efficient features at the KB Home Studio—a retail-like showroom where consumers meet with personal design consultants.To further demonstrate water savings in its model homes, KB Home's Architecture Department prepared a "waterwise" landscaping guide for all its divisions, calling for mandatory implementation in every community in 2010. Licensed Certification Provider Energy Inspectors Corporation Energy Inspectors Corporation, a leading residential energy efficiency and construction quality assurance consultant, joined forces with WaterSense in 2010 to recruit and support WaterSense builder partners by inspect- ing and certifying new homes. In its first year as a WaterSense licensed certification provider part- ner, Energy Inspectors Corporation introduced multiple builders to the opportunities for build- ing homes to earn the WaterSense label. ( Energy t Inspectors Energy Inspectors Corporation's inspector train- ing process uses a hands-on approach: trainees are required to perform a full inspection of a model home using the WaterSense Labeled New Home Inspection Checklist. Only after a profes- sional has gained this experience is he or she allowed to inspect a WaterSense labeled new home. The familiarity with the local climate that inspectors gain from this approach enables them to accurately evaluate outdoor components of the WaterSense new homes criteria. Throughout 2010, Energy Inspectors Corpora- tion stayed in close communication with fellow Partner of the Year KB Home's corporate and regional offices to discuss how the builder could integrate WaterSense into its production cycle. Energy Inspectors Corporation provided support to both KB Home's superintendents and installing trades.The partnership between Energy Inspec- tors Corporation and KB Home resulted in the first WaterSense labeled new home in the country and eventually an entire community of homes that will earn the WaterSense label. Realizing the important role of plumbers and landscape irrigation professionals in the new home construction process, Energy Inspectors Corporation also presented a three-hour educa- tional seminar with EPA to KB Home Southern California's landscape and plumbing trade profes- sionals, providing important program information to everyone involved in creating a WaterSense labeled new home. October 2011 (866) WTR-SENS (987-7367) www.epa.gov/watersensewatersense@epa.gov ------- |