EPA Wants to Know What Customers Think About WaterSense-Labeled Products

Codes and Standards
Published

Update: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has extended the comment period to July 24.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced its decision via a Federal Register notice to maintain the current specifications for several WaterSense-labeled products. EPA reviewed the product performance criteria as required by America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) of 2018.

To earn a WaterSense label, products must:

  • Be independently certified,
  • Use at least 20% less water,
  • Save energy, and
  • Perform as well or better than standard models.

Tens of thousands of different product models have been certified to the standard.

WaterSense has helped Americans save a cumulative 3.4 trillion gallons of water, and more than $84.2 billion in water and energy bills through the end of 2018. Additionally, the use of WaterSense labeled products saved 462.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity.

In addition to announcing the completion of the product review, the notice also contained requests for input and information on:

  • Data/surveys/studies to help assess consumer satisfaction with WaterSense-labeled products
  • Whether EPA should include customer satisfaction criteria in the WaterSense program guidelines

Comments are being accepted until June 9 and are being posted as received; previously submitted comments can be viewed. All are encouraged to submit information regarding their use of WaterSense-labeled products in their projects, their and/or their customers. For more details about NAHB’s sustainable and green building initiatives, contact Sustainability and Green Building Program Manager Michelle Diller. To stay current on high-performance residential building, follow NAHB’s Sustainability and Green Building team onTwitter.

Subscribe to NAHBNow

Log in or create account to subscribe to notifications of new posts.

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Membership

Jul 21, 2025

NAHB Mourns Passing of Rick Herman

NAHB mourns the passing of Rick Herman, longtime Executive Officer of the Rochester Home Builders Association (RHBA) in New York. Rick joined RHBA 30 years ago and served as a tireless advocate for members in Rochester and around the state.

Construction Costs

Jul 18, 2025

Metals and Equipment Drove Material Prices Higher in June

Residential building material prices rose in June, driven primarily by higher construction machinery and equipment part prices, based on data from the most recent Producer Price Index (PPI). Metal commodities also experienced significant increases, following recently implemented tariffs on steel and aluminum.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

Jul 21, 2025

Use of Private Water and Sewer Systems in New Single-Family Homes

The share of new single-family homes built with individual septic systems declined slightly in 2024 compared to the previous year, while the share of homes served by private wells remained steady.

Economics

Jul 21, 2025

Sales of Lower-Priced New Single-Family Homes Declined Over the Past Five Years

From 2020 to 2024, sales of lower-priced new homes declined significantly as the market moved toward higher-priced segments. Rising construction costs—driven by inflation, supply chain disruptions, and labor shortages—as well as higher regulatory costs, made it increasingly difficult for builders to construct affordable homes.

Economics

Jul 18, 2025

State-Level Employment Situation: June 2025

Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 27 states in June compared to the previous month, while employment decreased in 23 states and the District of Columbia. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nationwide total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 147,000 in June following a gain of 144,000 jobs in May.