According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), since the launch of its WaterSense program 10 years ago, Americans have saved $32.6 billion in water and energy bills and more than 1.5 trillion gallons of water, which is more than the amount of water needed to supply all of the homes in California for a year.
More than 1,700 utilities, local governments, manufacturers, retailers, distributors, builders, and other organizations have partnered with EPA to produce and promote water-efficient products, programs, and homes in the past decade.
“As we mark 10 years of WaterSense accomplishments, EPA thanks our WaterSense partners for helping American businesses and families save water through the use of water-efficient products and practices,” said Joel Beauvais, EPA Deputy Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Water, in a recent blog post on the milestone.
WaterSense-labeled products, which are independently certified to use at least 20 percent less water and perform as well or better than standard models, have been on the market since 2007 when toilets first earned the label. Since then, the number of labeled models has grown to more than 16,000, including products found in residential and commercial bathrooms, commercial kitchens and for outdoor irrigation.
In addition to saving water, WaterSense labeled products save the energy associated with treating, pumping, and heating water. Since 2006 WaterSense labeled products saved the energy equal to the amount used to power 19.4 million homes for a year while preventing 78 million metric tons of associated greenhouse gas emissions.
EPA’s WaterSense program also certifies homes with WaterSense labeled fixtures and features. Compared to a typical home, a WaterSense labeled home can save a family an estimated 50,000 gallons of water a year, which is enough water to wash 2,000 loads of laundry and could curb utility bills up to $600. To date more than 700 homes have earned the WaterSense label.
Learn more at www.epa.gov/watersense.
