by Shane Henson — October 15, 2012—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently honored five organizations as 2012 WaterSense Partners of the Year during the WaterSmart Innovations Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The awards recognize WaterSense partners who help advance the overall mission of WaterSense, an EPA-sponsored program created to help consumers save water by providing a product label and tips for conserving water at home and at work. WaterSense-labeled products manufactured by the organizations honored this year and more than 2,600 WaterSense partners nationwide have helped American businesses and households save 287 billion gallons of water and $4.7 billion in water and energy bills, says the EPA.
WaterSense recognized the following Partners of the Year for their water-saving initiatives:
- Manufacturer Partners of the Year: American Standard Brands for developing a WaterSense-labeled toilet model that can be installed without tools. Kohler Co., now a three-time WaterSense Manufacturer Partner of the Year, introduced its most water-efficient dual-flush toilet in 2011. Kohler also more than doubled the number of WaterSense-labeled showerheads it offers and supported and participated in the “Wasting Water Is Weird” consumer education campaign to promote water conservation.
- Retailer Partner of the Year: Lowe’s Companies Inc. became a three-time WaterSense Retailer Partner of the Year by supporting and participating in the “Wasting Water Is Weird” campaign and for training their sales associates on water savings and usability of WaterSense-labeled products. Through their efforts, Lowe’s customers saved about 4 billion gallons of water in 2011 with WaterSense products, says the EPA.
- Promotional Partner of the Year: Colorado Springs Utilities for helping a local builder create the first WaterSense-labeled home in Colorado. The utility also encouraged commercial kitchens in the area to try pre-rinse spray valves that helped save more than 20 million gallons of water.
- Builder Partner of the Year: KB Home, now a two-time WaterSense Builder Partner of the Year, built nearly 100 WaterSense-labeled homes in 2011 and pushed the limits of sustainable building with a model home designed to achieve net-zero energy use and the highest levels of water and other resource efficiency.
