The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program released its final specification for showerheads on March 4, 2010. Manufacturers can now submit their showerheads for testing to earn the WaterSense label, and consumers will soon be able to renovate their bathrooms with the full suite of WaterSense-labeled products.

Showering is one of the leading ways we use water in the home, accounting for nearly 17% of residential indoor water use, or about 30 gallons per household per day. WaterSense-labeled showerheads will use 20% less water and perform as well or better than standard models. The final specification sets the maximum flow rate at 2.0 gallons per minute (gpm) at a flowing pressure of 80 pounds per square inch (psi).

Like all WaterSense labeled products, showerheads must be independently tested and certified to meet EPA’s criteria for water efficiency and performance. To determine what makes a good shower, EPA conducted consumer testing and worked with a variety of stakeholders to develop performance attributes, such as water coverage and spray intensity. As a result, WaterSense-labeled showerheads can be tested and certified to ensure that users will not have to sacrifice a good shower in order to achieve water savings.

With WaterSense-labeled showerheads expected to be on retail shelves later this spring, contractors can offer their customers a full bathroom makeover that saves about $60 each year on utility bills. Replacing older, inefficient fixtures with WaterSense-labeled toilets, faucets, and showerheads can save a home more than 7,000 gallons of water annually, or enough to wash six months' worth of laundry.

WaterSense is an EPA partnership program that seeks to enhance the market for water-efficient products and services. WaterSense is both a label for products and a resource to help people use water more efficiently. For more information, contact Stephanie Thornton at thornton.stephanie@epa.gov or 202-564-0269.


Source: WaterSense