Underwriters Laboratories (UL) announced it will provide testing and certification services for high-efficiency lavatory faucets and faucet accessories for the Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program. High-efficiency lavatory faucets are the most recent product category added to EPA’s WaterSense initiative, which was launched in February 2007 to safeguard the U.S. water supply by identifying and promoting water-efficient products and services.

The WaterSense high-efficiency lavatory faucet specification is designed to ensure both sustainable, efficient water use and a high level of user satisfaction. The specification applies to lavatory faucets in private use, such as in residences, and private restrooms in hotels and hospitals. Households using WaterSense-labeled bathroom sink faucets or faucet accessories could save an average of more than 500 gallons of water each year.

Certified products will be included on an EPA product registry and will bear the WaterSense label. In addition, UL will list all products certified for WaterSense at www.ul.com/water.

In related news, the EPA announced the first products to receive the WaterSense label for water closet efficiency and performance. Since April, 44 high-efficiency toilets from six manufacturers have earned the label. To qualify for the WaterSense label, toilets must be independently tested and certified by an EPA-licensed laboratory to use 1.28 gallons per flush or less, and flush 350 grams of media.

A full list of WaterSense-labeled HETs can be found on the program Web site at www.epa.gov/watersense/pp/find_het.htm.