PMI supports Senate legislation authorizing WaterSense program

This would provide a dedicated source of funding for the water equivalent of EnergyStar.

On April 9, 2014, Senator Tom Udall (D) of New Mexico introduced legislation, The WaterSense Efficiency, Conservation, and Adaptation Act,that would authorize and enhance the EPA WaterSense program, providing a dedicated source of funding for the water equivalent of EnergyStar.

“We applaud Senator Udall for introducing this legislation which recognizes the importance of the WaterSense program, a public-private partnership, that encourages consumers to decrease indoor water use through more efficient plumbing products, services, and practices which will save water, as well as money and energy,” said Barbara C. Higgens, PMI CEO/executive director.

PMI and its members have been actively encouraging such legislation recognizing that there is an urgent need to address rampant water leakage resulting from our aging infrastructure, and from the extreme droughts affecting parts of the US. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that approximately 16% of treated water never reaches the tap. This loss of treated water is the direct result of an aging and deteriorating system of pipes and plants that comprise our nation’s water infrastructure. By simply replacing old, water-intensive plumbing fixtures and installing water-efficient plumbing fixtures, we can reduce water usage by billions of gallons a day.

What is the EPA WaterSense program?

WaterSense is an EPA-industry partnership effort to set voluntary technical standards for a variety of plumbing products, such as toilets, showerheads, and faucets that are at least 20 percent more efficient than the current federal level, without sacrificing performance. By taking advantage of the high-performing, water saving technology currently available, we can reduce water usage by billions of gallons a day and trillions of gallons of water annually. EPA conservatively estimates that 3 billion gallons of water per day in water savings would be achieved — about 7% of total publicly supplied water — by retrofitting pre-1992 toilets, showerheads, and faucets in residences with water efficient products.

WaterSense products are easily found at home improvement stores, as well as showrooms across the country, and are available in a wide variety of price points and in a broad range of styles. Water efficient plumbing products help consumers and communities reduce the strain on our aging infrastructure and provide much needed relief to areas suffering from droughts.

PMI has been a proud WaterSense partner since 2007, along with many of its member companies.