WASHINGTON (October 5, 2023) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presented 47 awards to WaterSense partners for their support of WaterSense and water efficiency at the WaterSmart Innovations conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. This year’s award winners made innovative water-efficient products, built homes using 30% less water than typical new construction, made WaterSense labeled products accessible to consumers, and implemented programs to promote water-saving behaviors and fixtures.

 

"This year's WaterSense Award Winners are helping American families save money on their water bills while conserving our precious water resources," said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. "As climate stress continues to affect communities across the country, prioritizing water efficiency in partnership with manufacturers, homebuilders and families is essential to protecting our water for generations to come."

 

People look for the WaterSense label on plumbing fixtures, homes, and irrigation products and programs, because it means lower water and energy costs and helps save water. People who buy WaterSense products have saved more than 7.5 trillion gallons of water, 880 billion kilowatt-hours of energy, and $171 billion in water and energy bills since the program started in 2006.

 

Award winners include utilities, manufacturers, builders, a retailer, and other organizations that promote, produce, and sell WaterSense labeled products; build WaterSense labeled homes; and operate WaterSense labeled certification programs.

 

 

The Sustained Excellence Awards are the highest level of achievement for WaterSense. This year, WaterSense added three new WaterSense partners to this category. 

 

• Athens-Clarke County Public Utilities (Georgia)

• Citrus County Utilities (Florida)

• City of Charlottesville (Virginia)

• City of Durham Water Management (North Carolina)

• City of Plano (Texas)

• City of Sacramento Department of Utilities (California)

• KB Home 

• Fulton Homes

• Kohler Co. (Wisconsin)

• Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District

• Northern Water (Colorado)

• Sonoma-Marin (California) Saving Water Partnership (for certification programs)

• Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District (California)

 

 

Partner of the Year Awards are given to WaterSense partners who have achieved success in all the judging categories—strategic collaboration, education and outreach, and producing or promoting WaterSense labeled products and programs.

 

• Promotional: Harris-Galveston (Texas) Subsidence District; Houston Public Works; Rancho Water (California); Valley Water (Santa Clara Valley, California); Tarrant (Texas) Regional Water District, Vallecitos (California) Water District; and the Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership

• Manufacturer: Niagara® 

• Retailer: The Home Depot 

 

 

Excellence Awards recognize WaterSense partners who have excelled in the following areas:  

 

• Excellence in Education and Outreach: City of Big Bear Lake Department of Water and Power (California); Irvine Ranch Water District (California); Kearns Improvement District (Utah); and Monte Vista Water District (California)

• Excellence in Promotion and Outreach: San Diego County (California) Water Authority

• Excellence in Engagement and Outreach: The Toro Company

• Excellence in Education, Outreach, and Promoting WaterSense Labeled Products: Sacramento Suburban Water District (California); Cobb County (Georgia) Water System; and Department of Water, County of Kaua‘i (Hawaii)

• Excellence in Promoting WaterSense Labeled Products: Alameda County (California) Water District; California Water Service; City of Flagstaff (Arizona) Water Conservation Program; City of Tucson (Arizona)/Tucson Water; Marin Water (California); Metropolitan Council (Minnesota); San Dieguito Water District (California); Tampa Bay (Florida) Water; and Utah Division of Water Resources

• Excellence in Promoting WaterSense Labeled Products in the Marketplace: Smart Rain (Utah)

• Excellence in Increasing the Visibility of WaterSense Labeled Products: Hunter Industries (California)

• Excellence in Strategic Collaboration: Alliance for Water Efficiency; American Water; and G3, Green Gardens Group (Los Angeles)

• Excellence in Promoting the EPA Multifamily Water Score: SCV Water (Santa Clarita Valley, California)

• Excellence in Certification Program Growth: Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

 

WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by EPA, is both a label for water-efficient products and a resource for helping consumers and businesses save water. WaterSense seeks to protect the future of the nation’s water supply by offering Americans a simple way to use less water with water-efficient products, homes, and services. WaterSense labeled products are independently certified to use 20% less water and perform as well or better than standard models. The program was launched in 2006, and there are more than 42,000 labeled toilets, faucets/faucet accessories, showerheads, irrigation controllers, and spray sprinkler bodies.