WaterSense® Labeled Homes
Delivering on Efficiency in Denver, Colorado
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
Despite being an arid region, Colorado is
considered a headwaters state. Water
originating from snowpack in Colorado's Rocky
Mountains flows into multiple river basins,
including the Colorado River Basin, that
transport water throughout the West and
Midwest. Therefore, when the region is
impacted by severe drought, it can present
challenges to the water supply not only in
Colorado, but in downriver states, too.
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.
The figure on the next page shows the drought
status in Denver County, Colorado, between
2000 and 2023, with yellow denoting abnormally dry conditions and darker colors indicating even
greater drought intensity. Over the same period, the Denver metropolitan area's population increased
by 37 percent, representing an additional 800,000 residents. Denver and other arid places affected by
frequent droughts need to plan communities wisely so as not to overstress water supplies.
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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.
100.00%
80.00%
60.00%
40.00%
20.00%
0.00%
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OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOO^-*—
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DO (Abnormally Dry) D1 (Moderate Drought) D2 (Severe Drought) U D3 (Extreme Drought)	D4 (Exceptional Drought)
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor (httpsi/Zdroughtmonitor.unl.edu/)
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
Denver. 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 Colorado standards is required to meet more rigorous
product efficiency criteria for certain plumbing and irrigation 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 improvements limited to
indoor water efficiency will not be sufficient to achieve the 30 percent threshold. The home will
Denver County (CO) Percent Area in U.S. Drought Monitor Categories
I I I
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generally need to focus on maximizing outdoor water savings (e.g., by reducing turf and using a
WaterSense labeled irrigation controller) 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
Colorado
Appliance
Efficiency
Standards
Example WaterSense
Labeled Home in
Denver*
Toilets
1.6 gpf
1.28 gpf
1.28 gpf
1.1 gpf
Showerheads
2.5 gpm
2.0 gpm
2.0 gpm
1.8 gpm
Lavatory Faucets
2.2 gpm
1.5 gpm
1.5 gpm
1.2 gpm
Kitchen Faucets
2.2 gpm
2.2 gpm
1.8 gpm
1.8 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
15% less irrigable
landscape; half of
remaining landscape is
non-turf design with
pressure-
compensating drip
irrigation; turf irrigated
with WaterSense
labeled spray sprinkler
bodies; WaterSense
labeled irrigation
controller
Total Estimated
Annual Water Use
161,000 gallons
146,000 gallons
145,000 gallons
<113,000 gallons
Total Estimated
Annual Water
and Percent
Savings From
Baseline
0 gallons
0% savings
15,000 gallons
5 to 13% savings
16,000 gallons
6 to 14% savings
>48,000 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 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.
PHONE (866)WTR-SENS (987-7367) WEBSITE www.epa.gov/watersenseEMAILwatersense@epa.gov
SERA
EPA-832-F-23-002B
July 2023
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