| Program Name: | WaterSense |
| Program Sponsor: | EPA |
| Program Type: | Labelling/ Certifications |
| Technology: | Water Efficiency |
| Fuel: | N/A (Water) |
| Eligibility: | All businesses wishing to upgrade water consuming products |
| Cost: | Free (WaterSense is not a rebate program and the cost of WaterSense products is the business’s responsibility) |
Description
WaterSense, a voluntary partnership program sponsored by the EPA, is both a label for water-efficient products and a resource for helping households and businesses save water. WaterSense provides business owners and facility managers with various resources and initiatives to save water and energy while reducing operating costs.
Eligibility
Any business with water consuming products, particularly businesses that consume significant amounts of water in their daily operations – e.g. office buildings, hotels, hospitals, restaurants, and other commercial and institutional facilities.
How The Program Works
Label. The WaterSense label is provided to water-consuming products through the WaterSense Product Certification System. WaterSense products include bathroom faucets, commercial toilets, urinals, outdoor irrigation controllers, spray sprinkler bodies with integral pressure regulation that reduce pressure and water waste by ensuring landscape irrigation sprinklers maintain optimal operating pressure, and pre-rinse spray valves (often used in commercial and institutional kitchens) that are DOE compliant. WaterSense-labeled products and services are certified to use at least 20 percent less water and save energy compared to standard models. The EPA offers an online search tool to help businesses identify water-conserving products and provides specifications for all products granted the WaterSense label.
Partnership. Interested businesses may become a WaterSense Partner. Partners join a national network of businesses working to conserve water, gain access to use of the WaterSense logo and promotional materials, and may be recognized with a WaterSense Partner of the Year award.
The WaterSense program offers resources, tools, and trainings specifically tailored to commercial and institutional (CI) facilities. To increase understanding of facility water-use best practices, WaterSense provides a CI Water Assessment Tool. The Water Assessment Tool includes 145 action items, with no- and low-cost actions identified to help businesses determine easy-to-implement initial steps. Additional documents tailored for CI facilities provide certain equations to calculate potential water, energy, and cost savings, as well as Water Assessment Worksheets for water management planning that deal with existing plumbing inventories, water consumption history, water meter lists, and more.
While WaterSense is not a rebate program, it does offer a free online Rebate Finder that is searchable by State, rebate type, and building type.
H2Otel Challenge. EPA launched the WaterSense H2Otel challenge to help hotels understand and improve their water footprint. Hotel operators and facility managers can use WaterSenses’ WaterUSE Tool and associated Water Assessment Worksheets to identify and prioritize cost effective water efficiency upgrades. Additionally, hotels that have signed up for the challenge will receive outreach and recognition tools to promote participation in the Challenge.
Contact Information
Call the toll-free WaterSense Helpline at (866) 987-7367, or submit questions using the online contact form.