What’s Watersense?

Launched in 2006, WaterSense is an EPA-sponsored partnership program that seeks to protect the future of our nation’s water supply by promoting water efficiency and enhancing the market for water-efficient products, programs, and practices.
WaterSense brings together local water utilities and governments, product manufacturers, retailers, consumers, and other stakeholders to:

• Decrease indoor and outdoor non-agricultural water use through the adoption of more efficient products and practices.
• Help consumers make water-efficient choices, including differentiating between products and services in the marketplace and adopting simple daily activities that reduce water use.
• Encourage innovation in manufacturing
• Establish and standardize rigorous certification criteria that ensure product efficiency, performance, and quality.

WaterSense helps consumers identify water-efficient products and programs that meet WaterSense water efficiency and performance criteria. Products carrying the WaterSense label perform well, help save money, and encourage innovation in manufacturing.
WaterSense partners with manufacturers, retailers and distributors, and utilities to bring WaterSense labeled products to the marketplace and make it easy to purchase high-performing, water-efficient products.
WaterSense also partners with irrigation professionals and irrigation certification programs to promote water-efficient landscape irrigation practices.

WaterSense is not a regulatory program, but rather a voluntary program. EPA develops specifications for water efficient products through a public process. If a manufacturer makes a product that meets those specifications, the product is eligible for third-party testing to ensure the stated efficiency and performance criteria have been met. If the product passes the test, the manufacturer is rewarded with the right to put the WaterSense label on that product.^[2]

A calculator at the Watersense site to help you plan the cost reduction of using Watersense products 

According to the EPA, the average American home uses more water for flushing the toilet than running the shower. A family of four could save 16,000 gallons of water a year by replacing its traditional toilet with a high-efficiency model, a big savings in dollars as well as droplets.