Program News
Draft Specification for Showerheads
WaterSense reached an exciting milestone with the release of the
WaterSense draft specification
for showerheads on September 24, 2009. Once EPA has worked with
stakeholders to finalize the specification in early 2010, consumers
will be able to choose from a full suite of WaterSense labeled products
for residential bathrooms—toilets, faucets, and showerheads.
EPA invites manufacturers, retailers, and distributors that
produce or sell showerheads to partner
with WaterSense. If you have questions, please contact the WaterSense
Helpline at (866) WTR-SENS (987-7367) or e-mail watersense@epa.gov.
Final Specification for Urinals
On October 8, 2009, EPA released the final specification
for flushing urinals—the first commercial product category
to qualify for the WaterSense label. Urinals bearing the WaterSense
label use no more than 0.5 gallons per flush—at least 50 percent
less water than standard flushing urinals. Manufacturer partners
can now apply to have flushing urinals certified to earn the WaterSense
label. Visit the Final Specification
for Flushing Urinals page for more information.
Draft Specification for Weather-Based Irrigation Controllers
WaterSense labeled products are moving outdoors with the release
of a draft specification for weather-based irrigation controllers
on November 19, 2009. Once final, the specification will establish
water-efficiency and performance criteria for controllers that use
real time weather data and landscape conditions to apply water only
when the landscape needs it. For more information on the draft WaterSense
weather-based irrigation controller specification, visit the Weather-Based
Irrigation Controllers page.
EPA Seeks Input for Pre-Rinse Spray Valve Study
Interested in helping EPA gather much-needed data to inform the
first-ever joint specification between WaterSense and ENERGY STAR?
EPA is planning a study to evaluate the effectiveness and performance
of pre-rinse spray valves used for dish cleaning in commercial kitchens
and is looking for partners to help conduct this research. Your
efforts will surely pay off - efficient pre-rinse spray valves have
the potential to save facilities 6,000 gallons of water, 500 kWh
of energy, and $100 in utility costs each year. Email us at watersense-products@erg.com
to receive a copy of the research study scope and learn more about
this exciting opportunity. Don't miss out on your chance to
help EPA improve the efficiency of commercial kitchens!
EPA to Unveil New WaterSense Web Site
The WaterSense Web site is getting a facelift to improve navigation
while still providing the same level of detail and information on
products, partners, news, and information. Look for the rollout
of revised Web site soon!
WaterSense Commercial and Institutional Stakeholder Meetings
WaterSense held its first stakeholder meeting on October 5, 2009
at the WaterSmart Innovations Conference to discuss a potential
Commercial and Institutional (CI) component of the program.
The meeting produced many great ideas and suggestions for developing
a CI program. WaterSense will be holding a second meeting via webinar
and teleconference on January 27, 2010, to get additional feedback
from people who weren’t able to attend the first meeting.
Please visit the WaterSense Commercial
Research page to read a summary of the meeting and comments
submitted and to register for the meeting. We welcome everyone
to join us on our webinar on the 27th and to submit any additional
comments or ideas to the WaterSense Helpline at (866) WTR-SENS (987-7367)
or e-mail watersense@epa.gov.
Save the Date
December 2 – 4, 2009—Irrigation Show 2009
Stop by and visit the WaterSense team at the Irrigation Association’s
annual trade show—Irrigation
Show 2009  ,
December 2 to 4 in San Antonio, Texas. The show offers irrigation
professionals an opportunity to connect with industry peers and
WaterSense irrigation partners. WaterSense will be hosting a session
for irrigation professionals on the importance of partner collaboration
and the benefits of partnering with WaterSense. Join us to
learn more!
December 3, 2009—Introduction to WaterSense Webinar
– Spread the Word!
Do you know people or organizations interested in learning more
about WaterSense? Invite them to join us for an informational
webcast about the program. EPA will be holding Introduction
to WaterSense Webinars throughout the year for prospective partners
and other interested organizations where we will discuss water-efficiency
issues, explain more about the WaterSense label, outline the benefits
of joining the program, and answer questions. The next webcasts
will be held on December 3 from 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Eastern
Time) and February 4, 2010 from 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Eastern
Time). We encourage partners to forward this information to their
colleagues so we can expand our network and ensure WaterSense reaches
potential partners nationwide. To sign up for these webcasts, contact
the WaterSense Helpline at watersense@epa.gov
or (866) WTR-SENS (987-7367).
December 10, 2009—Partner Forum: Media Tips
Join us for our next Partner Forum webinar to learn tips for promoting
WaterSense to the media and getting your message heard. Partners
will also hear a general program update, preview the new WaterSense
Web site, and learn about the final WaterSense specification for
single-family new homes. Look for the registration information in
an upcoming email.
January 27, 2010 – Second Commercial and Institutional
Stakeholders Meeting
Please join us for WaterSense's second commercial and institutional
(CI) stakeholder meeting to be held via webinar and teleconference.
Weren't able to make it to EPA's in-person meeting in Las Vegas
on October 5th? Don't miss this opportunity to provide input and
feedback on a potential WaterSense CI program. To register, please
visit https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/176949330
.
January 28, 2010—New Partner Welcome Call
WaterSense offers a bimonthly welcome call to give new partners
an introduction to the program and its partner tools and resources.
New partners will receive an email invitation prior to the call
with registration and call-in information. If you have questions
prior to the call, you may contact the WaterSense Helpline at watersense@epa.gov
or (866) WTR-SENS (987-7367) for more information.
February 4, 2010 – Introduction to WaterSense
Webinar
To be held February 4, 2010, from 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Eastern
time). See description above.
Tools and Resources
Fix a Leak Week 2010
It’s time to start planning! The second annual Fix
a Leak Week is just around the corner—March 15 to 21, 2010.
To assist partners in their outreach efforts, WaterSense developed
a press release template, graphics, a fact sheet, consumer tips,
Web text, and—new this fall—a curriculum for teachers.
The new interactive curriculum
is geared for students in grades 3 to 5 and focuses on water basics
and the importance of water efficiency. The curriculum includes
a guide for teachers, worksheet for students, and fact sheet to
help families find and fix leaks in their homes.
As a WaterSense partner, you can post links to Fix a Leak Week
and the curriculum on your Web site, distribute the curriculum within
your local community, or use parts of the curriculum as activities
during promotional events. Check
out the Fix a Leak Week curriculum.
Rebate Finder
Are you planning to offer rebates for WaterSense labeled products
or enhance an existing rebate program? Are you a distributor or
manufacturer looking for additional incentives for water-conscious
customers? Check out the WaterSense
Rebate Finder. It provides links directly to WaterSense partners
that offer rebates for WaterSense labeled products. You can sort
the list by partner name, state, or rebate type. If you are a WaterSense
partner that offers a rebate on a WaterSense labeled product and
would like to be listed on our rebate finder, send an e-mail to
the WaterSense Helpline at watersense@epa.gov.
In addition to the WaterSense Rebate Finder, retail partners The
Home Depot
and Lowe’s
have rolled out their own rebate finders. Visit these partners’
Web sites to find water- and energy-saving devices in your area.
Partners in the Spotlight
Looking for innovative ways to promote WaterSense in your area?
Here are some ideas from WaterSense partners.
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and
Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR): The states
of Virginia
and Georgia
have been leaders in employing a sales tax holiday for WaterSense
labeled and ENERGY STAR qualified products encouraging consumers
to “go green” while also saving them money. Both the
Virginia DEP and Georgia DNR have been instrumental in ensuring
WaterSense labeled products are part of their states’ sales
tax holidays. Visit their Web sites via the links above to learn
more about their campaigns, and encourage your state to develop
a similar holiday to promote water efficiency.
Hampton Roads, VA: The Hampton Roads Water Efficiency
Team (HR WET) has been successfully collaborating with its 16 cities
and counties and four major military installations in southeastern
Virginia to promote WaterSense and water efficiency. HR WET conducts
a comprehensive educational program involving media relations, advertising,
demonstrations at festivals and exhibits, and public speaking for
civic groups under its Water Use It Wisely campaign. Other resources
created by the HR WET program include videos placed on YouTube and
research on the effectiveness of water-saving kits. Finally,
HR WET maintains a clearinghouse for exchanging information on water-wise
practices, and a program that recognizes water-efficient businesses
and industries. To learn more about these and other efforts, visit
HR WET Web site .
Denver Water, CO: Denver Water took its traditional
advertising approach to water conservation and incorporated social
media principles through an online micro site that allows people
to interact with Denver Water’s conservation messages. The
micro site, Use Only
What You Need ,
helps engage customers by offering free products including t-shirts,
yard signs, stickers, decals, magnets, and tote bags. The site also
provides downloads of water conservation clips and YouTube videos
to help change water consumption behavior and encourage activism.
These videos are available to the public to reproduce free of charge.
New Partners
As of November 2, 2009, a total of 1,577 partners have joined WaterSense
since the inception of the program in 2006. Since last quarter,
28 irrigation partners, 25 promotional partners, 11 manufacturers,
and six retailers/distributors have joined. Visit the WaterSense
Partners page for a complete list of partners.
For More Information
(866) WTR-SENS (987-7367) | www.epa.gov/watersense
| watersense@epa.gov
|
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