EPA Wants to Know What Customers Think About WaterSense-Labeled Products
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.
Latest from NAHBNow
Aug 29, 2025
NAHB's Monthly Update Features Canadian Lumber Duties Talking PointsThe update provides the latest messaging framework to help members articulate housing priorities and latest news related to the Canadian lumber imports and builder sentiment.
Aug 28, 2025
Podcast: Congressional Priorities and the Trump Economy Heading into FallOn the latest episode of NAHB podcast Housing Developments, NAHB CEO Jim Tobin and COO Paul Lopez discuss how the rest of the year looks as Congress gets ready to return to Washington next week.
Latest Economic News
Aug 29, 2025
Multifamily Absorption Rises in the Second QuarterThe percentage of new apartment units that were absorbed within three months after completion rose in the second quarter, according to the Census Bureau’s latest release of the Survey of Market Absorption of New Multifamily Units (SOMA).
Aug 28, 2025
Mortgage Rates Move Lower, Hitting 10-Month LowAverage mortgage rates in August continued their steady decline and are now at their lowest rate since last November.
Aug 27, 2025
Wood-Framed Home Share Increased in 2024Wood framing continues to dominate the U.S. single-family home construction market, according to NAHB analysis of 2024 Census Bureau data.