“Every drop counts.” That’s the motto for a new partnership program called WaterSense that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently launched to stimulate more efficient use of water in homes and businesses.

Growing demands for water and the need to protect water sources have prompted water and wastewater utilities, along with agriculture and industry to rely on water efficiency as a low-cost approach to meet customer and business needs.

A recent U.S. Government Accountability Office survey underscored the need to develop a national ethic of water efficiency. The survey reported that 36 states anticipate local, regional or statewide water shortages by 2013, even without drought conditions.

Managing the nation’s water supply is a rising concern for communities across the country.

In response, EPA announced the WaterSense program last summer. This voluntary partnership promotes water efficiency and primes market demand for water-efficient products and services. WaterSense takes its cue from the successful ENERGY STAR program which promotes energy-efficient products.

The WaterSense program’s goals are to raise awareness of the importance of efficient water use and to ensure that consumers can easily identify high performance products that will meet EPA standards. WaterSense labeled products will be at least 20 percent more efficient than their counterparts.

Beginning in 2007, products and services bearing the WaterSense label will be available for purchase. Toilets, faucets, and irrigation controllers are some of the first products to be marketed.

The projected potential savings for these product areas is estimated to be 128 billion gallons per year, enough to supply water to 3.5 million people for a year.

Efficient water use doesn’t mean asking consumers to make sacrifices, just to be smarter about how they use water. For example, water leaks cost consumers and additional eight percent on their water bill annually. By sealing leaks and adopting water efficient products and practices the average family can save money and 30,000 gallons of water a year.

By saving water, you save money and help ensure there is enough water to meet the needs of future generations.

For more information, visit EPA’s WaterSense webpage.

10/13/2006