WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized the 2014 WaterSense Partners of the Year for their commitment to promoting water efficiency and strengthening the drought resiliency of communities across the country, during the recent WaterSmart Innovations Conference today in Las Vegas.
“As the United States experiences the driest conditions in more than a decade, there has never been a more important time for EPA and WaterSense to focus on water efficiency,” said Ken Kopocis, Deputy Assistant Administrator in EPA’s Office of Water. “We are working to find ways to further reduce water consumption to support healthy ecosystems and communities. EPA is pleased to honor an impressive group of WaterSense program leaders, whose efforts to build strong, resilient water systems are helping communities nationwide meet challenges of extreme weather, drought, and other effects of our changing climate.”
The 2014 WaterSense Partners of the Year winners, along with more than 1,500 other WaterSense partners, have helped American consumers save 757 billion gallons of water—enough to supply all of the homes in the United States with water for 26 days—since 2006. WaterSense partners combined efforts have resulted in a $14.2 billion reduction in consumer water and energy bills over the past eight years and a reduction of 37 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
Building on the important work of the WaterSense program, and as part of the President’s Climate Action Plan, EPA and WaterSense partners are continuing to find ways to enhance water efficiency. Improving water efficiency helps communities to save water, save energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Ensuring Safe, Clean Water for the Future
EPA’s WaterSense program seeks to protect the United States’ water supply by offering people a simple way to use less water with water-efficient products and services. By encouraging people to use less water now, these partners are helping to ensure the United States has clean and safe water supplies in the future.
The Alliance for Water Efficiency and the Southern Nevada Water Authority cosponsored the ceremony.
The 2014 Sustained Excellence Award Winner was Kohler Co. Kohler received the highest level of WaterSense recognition for the second year in a row for continuing to implement new, innovative technologies. One example is a dual-flush trip lever for tank-type toilets that makes selecting a smaller flush easier for those with dexterity challenges. Kohler also promoted WaterSense labeled products in 2013 with its cross-country “Trust the Flush” bus tour to showcase WaterSense labeled toilets’ proven performance at more than 185 events.
Among the 2014 Partners of the Year was Delta Faucet Co., Manufacturing Partner of the Year. Delta, a three-time Manufacturer Partner of the Year, created an online faucet video gallery and website that featured WaterSense labeled products in more than 20 videos, collectively receiving more than 38,000 views. Another Manufacturer Partner of the Year was HydroPoint Data Systems. The company helped customers sustain their water savings in 2013 with the release of a Water Budget Manager tool that allows users to see, track and report a landscape’s water consumption and water bills after installing WaterSense labeled irrigation controllers.
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