EPA WaterSense partners honored for water efficiency efforts

by Brianna Crandall — October 15, 2014—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized the 2014 WaterSense Partners of the Year for their commitment to promoting water efficiency and strengthening the drought resiliency of communities across the country, during the recent WaterSmart Innovations Conference in Las Vegas. EPA and WaterSense partners are continuing to find ways to enhance water efficiency in order to help communities save water, save energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The 2014 WaterSense Partners of the Year winners, along with more than 1,500 other WaterSense partners, have helped American consumers save 757 billion gallons of water—enough to supply all of the homes in the United States with water for 26 days, estimates EPA—since 2006. WaterSense partners’ combined efforts have resulted in a $14.2 billion reduction in consumer water and energy bills over the past eight years and a reduction of 37 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

EPA’s WaterSense program seeks to protect the nation’s water supply by offering people a simple way to use less water with water-efficient products and services, thereby helping to ensure clean and safe water supplies in the future.

2014 Sustained Excellence Award Winner:

• Kohler Co. (Kohler, WI) received the highest level of WaterSense recognition for the second year in a row for continuing to implement new, innovative technologies. One example is a dual-flush trip lever for tank-type toilets that makes selecting a smaller flush easier for those with dexterity challenges. Kohler also promoted WaterSense-labeled products in 2013 with its cross-country “Trust the Flush” bus tour to showcase WaterSense labeled toilets’ proven performance at more than 185 events.

2014 Partners of the Year:

• Promotional Partner of the Year: Cobb County (GA) Water System’s robust rebate program for WaterSense labeled toilets contributed to a decrease in the county’s annual average daily water use by 10 million gallons per day compared to 2010. This is the third WaterSense Promotional Partner of the Year award for Cobb County, which also promoted WaterSense campaigns in its Water $aver quarterly e-newsletter and via Twitter with the #fixaleak and #showerbetter hashtags.
• Promotional Partner of the Year: Colorado Springs (CO) Utilities earned its second WaterSense Promotional Partner of the Year award by hosting more than 20,000 visitors in its Conservation and Environmental Center. The center displayed WaterSense labeled products, a water savings comparison between labeled products and less efficient fixtures, and facts about the water, energy and cost savings achieved with WaterSense labeled products.
• Manufacturer Partner of the Year: Delta Faucet Company, (Indianapolis, IN) a three-time Manufacturer Partner of the Year, created an online faucet video gallery and Web site that featured WaterSense-labeled products in more than 20 videos, collectively receiving more than 38,000 views.
• Manufacturer Partner of the Year: HydroPoint Data Systems (Petaluma, CA) helped customers sustain their water savings in 2013 with the release of a Water Budget Manager tool that allows users to see, track and report a landscape’s water consumption and water bills after installing WaterSense labeled irrigation controllers.
• Retailer Partner of the Year: The Home Depot (Atlanta, GA) was recognized by EPA for the third time for its strong efforts to support rebate programs across the country for WaterSense labeled toilets, showerheads and irrigation controllers, helping consumers achieve more than $36 million in product markdowns.
• Builder Partner of the Year: KB Home (Los Angeles, CA)
• Professional Certifying Organization Partner of Year: The Irrigation Association (Falls Church, VA)
• Professional Certifying Organization Partner of Year: Sonoma-Marin (CA)
• Licensed Certification Provider Partner of the Year: Energy Inspectors Corporation (Las Vegas, NV)

Excellence Awards: