March 8, 2019
WaterSense Program: Congressional Authorization
WaterSense is a voluntary labeling program created by the
Energy Policy Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-58, §131). For more
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to encourage
information, see CRS In Focus IF10753, ENERGY STAR
the development and use of water-efficient products and
Program.
services. Through WaterSense, EPA develops water
efficiency specifications for products, certain services, and
Under WaterSense, EPA establishes water efficiency
homes; licenses third-party certification bodies; and
specifications for products, services, and homes. These
maintains a registry of WaterSense-labeled products and
specifications also identify which testing protocols should
certified services.
be used to evaluate the product. EPA requires
manufacturers, service providers, and home builders who
EPA initially established WaterSense in 2006. The 115th
wish to use a WaterSense label to have their products,
Congress authorized and expanded WaterSense in
services, and homes certified that they achieve the water
America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 (AWIA; P.L.
efficiency specification. Third-party organizations provide
115-270), Section 4306 (42 U.S.C. §6294b).
the certifications. EPA licenses these certification
organizations, which must also maintain accreditation from
WaterSense funding has garnered public and congressional
EPA-approved accreditation bodies.
interest as a result of the Trump Administration’s proposals
to eliminate program funding for FY2018 and FY2019. In
Products
FY2018, EPA funded WaterSense with $3.1 million from
Currently, EPA has issued WaterSense specifications for a
the agency’s discretionary appropriations. The Consolidated
variety of products, including residential toilets,
Appropriations Act, 2019 (P.L. 116-6) included FY2019
showerheads, bathroom faucets, commercial toilets, urinals,
appropriations for EPA and other federal agencies: FY2019
irrigation controllers, and spray sprinkler bodies.
funding for WaterSense is the same as the FY2018 enacted
level, according to the conference report (H.Rept. 116-9)
To obtain certification to use a WaterSense label,
that accompanied P.L. 116-6. AWIA does not include an
manufacturers must first develop products that meet EPA
authorization of appropriations for WaterSense.
specifications. EPA states that a water-efficient product
should generally (1) reduce water use by at least 20% from
A description of the WaterSense program, authorization,
federally mandated water-use conservation standards and
and revisions follows.
(2) function at least as well as regular models. For products
without federal standards, such as irrigation equipment,
Figure 1. WaterSense Labels
WaterSense certifications are based on calculations of
average efficiency.
Manufacturers may submit their products to an accredited
third-party organization for certification that the product
complies with established water efficiency specifications.
Once a product is certified, it does not have to be
recertified. However, EPA requires certification
organizations to conduct annual market surveillance on at
least 15% of the models that it has certified for each
product category and report the results to EPA.
Manufacturers of WaterSense-labeled products sign a
Source: EPA.gov.
partnership agreement with EPA. In the agreement, EPA
Notes: Compiled by CRS.
expects manufacturers to report the number of WaterSense-
Program Design
labeled products sold annually. EPA uses this data to
calculate water and energy savings attributed to the
WaterSense supports voluntary partnerships with service
WaterSense program as well as the return on investment.
providers, manufacturers, retailers, and other organizations
that manufacture, distribute, certify, or promote
EPA’s 2017 WaterSense Accomplishments report states
WaterSense-labeled products, homes, and/or services.
that over 27,000 product models have been certified. More
than half of these products are faucet models.
The WaterSense program design is similar to ENERGY
STAR, another voluntary labeling program established by
EPA in 1992. The Department of Energy and EPA jointly
administer ENERGY STAR, which was authorized in the
https://crsreports.congress.gov
WaterSense Program: Congressional Authorization
Irrigation Services
Program Authorization and Revisions
EPA issued WaterSense specifications to certify irrigation
AWIA Section 4306 authorized the WaterSense program to
services in June 2014. To earn a WaterSense certification,
identify and promote water efficient products, buildings,
irrigation service providers must have specific professional
landscapes, services, facilities, and processes to conserve
experience and demonstrate their applied knowledge
water and energy. It also directs EPA to consider whether to
through a written exam. EPA has developed WaterSense
review and revise (if necessary) water efficiency
specifications for the following services:
specifications adopted before January 1, 2012. These
include specifications for lavatory faucets, flushing urinals,
Irrigation system installation and maintenance,
and irrigation controllers. The act requires EPA to consider
Irrigation system design, and
revising these specifications by December 31, 2019. AWIA
further directs EPA to review and, if necessary, revise water
Irrigation audits.
efficiency specifications every six years after their adoption
EPA expects irrigation service providers to renew their
or major revision.
WaterSense certification every two years. The agency also
expects third-party certifying organizations to report to
AWIA specifies categories of products, buildings,
EPA on the number of certifications issued annually.
landscapes, facilities, processes and services that EPA may
According to EPA, more than 2,900 service providers have
include under the program. These include point-of-use
earned the WaterSense certification.
water treatment devices; water reuse and recycling
technologies; various irrigation, landscaping, and gardening
Homes
products and technologies; whole-house humidifiers; and
Also in June 2014, EPA released the final water efficiency
water-efficient buildings.
specification for WaterSense homes. The agency requires
Before AWIA, WaterSense program guidelines did not
WaterSense-labeled homes to meet specifications for indoor
define a timeline to review water efficiency specifications,
water use (e.g., plumbing fixtures and fittings, and
although, in the guidelines, EPA reserved the right to revise
appliances), outdoor water use (e.g., landscape design), and
specifications in response to technological or market
resident or building management education (e.g., operation
changes. To date, EPA has not revised any WaterSense
and maintenance manual for water-using equipment and
product specifications. EPA has made technical
controls). These specifications are intended to make these
clarifications to the specifications for showerheads and
homes approximately 20% more water efficient than similar
tank-type toilets. However, the national standards for
new homes.
plumbing products have not changed since the
specifications were developed over some time.
Third-party organizations inspect and certify WaterSense-
labeled homes. These organizations hire or contract with
In October 2018, EPA announced the discontinuation of
inspectors who evaluate homes and decide whether a home
specifications for commercial pre-rinse spray valves. This
receives the WaterSense label. WaterSense builders must
action addressed the inconsistency between the ENERGY
comply with EPA’s partnership agreement that requires
STAR efficiency specifications and the WaterSense
them to construct and certify at least one WaterSense-
specifications for commercial pre-rinse spray valves.
labeled home annually. EPA expects WaterSense builders
Also in October 2018, EPA proposed changes to
to annually report to EPA the number of new homes built
WaterSense home specifications. EPA announced plans to
that earned a WaterSense label.
release the home draft specification and licensing changes
in 2019.
Other Partnerships
EPA partners with several other types of organizations to
Water and Energy Savings
promote and encourage the distribution of WaterSense-
Depending on the product or service type, EPA uses
labeled products, certified services, and homes.
different models to estimate water savings from data
Promotional partners include water utilities, governments,
provided by their partners. From 2006 to 2017, EPA
and trade associations that encourage the use of WaterSense
estimates that the program saved 2.7 trillion gallons of
products, homes, and services. EPA also partners with
water. EPA also calculates energy savings attributed to
retailers and distributors that market, sell, and promote
WaterSense. EPA estimates that the WaterSense program
WaterSense-labeled products. EPA expects both partnership
has saved 367 billion kilowatt hours through reduced
types to report annually on their activities to promote or sell
energy use in all phases of water delivery, use, and
WaterSense-labeled products.
disposal.
WaterSense Label Costs
EPA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) reported on the
WaterSense program in August 2017. The 2017 OIG report
Manufacturers and other applicants are responsible for costs
found that consumers saved $1,100 for every federal dollar
associated with WaterSense certification, including testing
spent on the WaterSense program. OIG found that
and inspections. The costs to obtain a WaterSense
sufficient internal controls were in place to support the
certification may vary significantly depending on the
program’s water and energy savings claims but that EPA
product, service, or type of home seeking certification. In
could improve tracking the number of partners working to
addition, certification costs for products may be combined
improve water efficiency. OIG recommended that EPA
with other testing for health and safety compliance.
require WaterSense partners to periodically recommit to the
program.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
WaterSense Program: Congressional Authorization
Elena H. Humphreys, Analyst in Environmental Policy
IF11128
Disclaimer
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