The EPA is partnering with manufacturers, plumbing product distributors, utilities and other key organizations to help transform the market for water-efficient products through a WaterSense label that is backed by third-party certification. WaterSense benefits all its partners in various ways and hinges on the idea that together we can create a public demand for water-efficient products and services, helping to save water while ensuring product performance.
This most recent push to change the plumbing and irrigation markets comes not a moment too soon. The need for water efficiency is paramount. Ask anyone who experienced the ongoing drought in the Southeast in 2007. Georgia and North Carolina logged their worst droughts in recorded history. According to a 2003 U.S. Government Accountability Office survey, the water problem is likely to persist. With at least 36 states anticipating some degree of water shortages by 2013, even under nondrought conditions, necessity is in fact knocking at the door.