WaterSense Labeled Homes Delivering on Efficiency in Phoenix, Arizona 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, homes, and programs with a simple, easy-to-identify label. WaterSense labeled homes allow families to enjoy the comforts of home while using less water and energy and saving money on utility bills. To earn the WaterSense label, homes must meet EPA's specification criteria: they must be at least 30 percent more water-efficient than typical new home construction, include WaterSense labeled plumbing products, and be free of water leaks. WaterSense labeled homes can also include features such as: hot water that gets to the tap faster; ENERGY STAR® certified appliances; efficient irrigation equipment; and water-smart landscapes that minimize or eliminate the need for irrigation. Why Water Efficiency Matters to Communities and Builders In the Southwestern United States, where drought and water supply shortages are an ongoing concern, using water wisely is critical. The Phoenix area gets most of its water from the Salt, Verde, and Colorado Rivers. The region is naturally hot and arid and expected to become more so due to climate change, which will further stress water supplies. The figure on the next page shows the drought status in Maricopa County, Arizona, between 2000 and 2023, with yellow denoting abnormally dry conditions and darker colors indicating even greater drought intensity. Over the same period, Maricopa County's population increased by 48 percent, representing an additional 1.5 million residents. Phoenix and regions affected by frequent droughts need to plan communities wisely so as not to overstress water supplies. Benefits of WaterSense Certification For Communities/Water Agencies: • Preserves the ability to add new housing and grow communities while limiting impacts on water and infrastructure resources. • Achieves greater water efficiency using a whole- house, building-science approach and system solutions that may not be possible solely with efficient products. • Encourages builders to design homes with water-efficient features in mind, maximizing water savings at minimal incremental cost. For Builders: • Mitigates the rising cost of water and utility connection fees. • Leverages support from existing communities and investors. • Offers advantages in the permitting and land entitlement processes. • Supports corporate disclosures and reporting. 1 ------- WaterSense labeled homes can help preserve the ability to add housing in communities that are water- or infrastructure-constrained by minimizing the impact of new construction on water resources. Simultaneously, they can also mitigate the impact of rising costs of water and connection fees. 100.00% 80.00% 60.00% 40.00% 20.00% 0.00% Maricopa County (AZ) Percent Area in U.S. Drought Monitor Categories <1 Li rorsJKJhOhOKJNJNJNJNJhONJNJKJNJNJtsJNJNJNJKJNJNJNJNJ OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO—* —1 —» —» —» —» —4 —» —'hJNJNJNJNJ o—»NJOJ4^UlCy*>slOOvDO— DO (Abnormally Dry) D1 (Moderate Drought) D2 (Severe Drought) H D3 (Extreme Drought) H D4 (Exceptional Drought) Why Choose WaterSense Labeled Homes The WaterSense label for homes provides a whole-house approach to water efficiency. The programs that certify homes through WaterSense address specific climate and market conditions by encouraging system and design improvements in addition to efficient products and appliances. This approach helps maximize savings and reduce costs for the builder, the homeowner, and the community. WaterSense labeled homes can achieve significantly more savings than homes with WaterSense labeled plumbing products alone. Plus, WaterSense labeled homes carry the additional benefit of being independently certified to ensure they are free of leaks and that products and systems are properly installed to maximize savings. Maximizing Water Savings With WaterSense Labeled Homes The table on the next page illustrates the features that may be included under four scenarios in Phoenix. This example uses a typical 2,400-square-foot home with an average-sized household (2.61 occupants) on a 10,000-square-foot lot that includes 5,826 square feet of conventional, irrigated turf (unless otherwise specified). Assumptions for a typical home are based on national averages. The baseline home includes products meeting federal efficiency standards and other features typical of new construction. The home following the Mandatory Checklist for WaterSense Labeled Homes includes WaterSense labeled toilets, faucets, and showerheads, but no additional water-efficient features. The home meeting California standards is required to meet more rigorous product efficiency criteria for certain plumbing products. Finally, the example WaterSense labeled home incorporates a variety of water-efficient indoor and outdoor features that meet the water efficiency requirement for WaterSense labeled homes and result in substantially more water savings. This is just one example of a home that has earned the WaterSense label—other design configurations could also meet the requirement. The example shows that for a hot and dry climate such as Phoenix's, improvements in indoor water efficiency will not be sufficient to achieve the 30 percent threshold. The 2 ------- home will generally need to focus on maximizing outdoor water savings (e.g., reducing turf and using non-irrigated or natural areas to reduce irrigable landscape area) to ensure it is at least 30 percent more water-efficient than typical new construction. Feature Baseline Home Home Meeting WaterSense Mandatory Checklist Home Meeting California Appliance Efficiency Standards* Example WaterSense Labeled Home in Phoenix** Toilets 1.6 gpf 1.28 gpf 1.28 gpf 1.1 gpf Showerheads 2.5 gpm 2.0 gpm 1.8 gpm 1.8 gpm Lavatory Faucets 2.2 gpm 1.5 gpm 1.2 gpm 1.2 gpm Kitchen Faucets 2.2 gpm 2.2 gpm 1.8 gpm 1.5 gpm Dishwashers 5.0 gpc 5.0 gpc 5.0 gpc 3.5 gpc (ENERGY STAR) Clothes Washers 6.5 IWF 6.5 IWF 6.5 IWF 4.3 IWF (ENERGY STAR) Hot Water Delivery Standard Standard Standard More efficient hot water delivery Landscape and Irrigation Turf irrigated with standard fixed spray sprinklers and timer-based controller Turf irrigated with standard fixed spray sprinklers and timer-based controller Turf irrigated with WaterSense labeled spray sprinkler bodies and timer-based controller 20% reduction in irrigable landscape; half of remaining landscape converted to non- turf design with pressure- compensating drip irrigation; WaterSense labeled irrigation controller Total Estimated Annual Water Use 261,000 gallons 245,000 gallons 243,000 gallons <182,000 gallons Total Estimated Annual Water and Percent Savings From Baseline 0 gallons 0% savings 16,000 gallons 3 to 9% savings 18,000 gallons 4 to 10% savings >79,000 gallons >30% savings Feature meets federal standard or common construction practices Feature meets WaterSense or ENERGY STAR criteria Feature achieves greater efficiency level than WaterSense product specification criteria gpf = gallons per flush; gpm = gallons per minute; gpc = gallons per cycle; IWF = integrated water factor * For comparison, California product and appliance standards are considered the most efficient state requirements. ** For example purposes only. Home could qualify with a different combination of features, and a different home with these features is not guaranteed to achieve WaterSense certification. Learn More Interested in learning more about WaterSense and how it can benefit your community? Visit www.epa.gov/watersense. A m* EPA-832-F-23-002A PHONE (866) WTR-SENS (987-7367) WEBSITEwww.epa.gov/watersense EMAILwatersense@epa.gov ^5S^ClTr\ May 2023 3 ------- |