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WaterSense to Label Flushing Urinals
WaterSense specifications for flushing urinals, make WaterSense labeled products available for use in commercial and institutional restrooms.
WaterSense labeled urinals have the potential to help save
businesses and institutions water and money on utility bills.
If all urinals installed before 1994 were replaced with WaterSense labeled models, it would save nearly 36 billion gallons of water annually--equal to the flow over Niagara Falls in 20 hours.
Half-gallon Flush Limits
To earn the WaterSense label, urinals must flush using no
more than half a gallon, well below the current federal standard
of 1.0 gallon per flush (gpf). Older models installed before
regulations were in place can use even more water--as
much as 5.0 gpf.
As with all WaterSense labeled products, urinals must undergo independent, third-party testing and certification before earning the WaterSense label.
Schools, restaurants, offices, and commercial buildings
Schools, restaurants, businesses, and other commercial buildings
can benefit from the financial savings of WaterSense labeled
urinals.
If a high school of 1,000 students replaced its inefficient urinals, for example, it could save enough to supply water for nearly 700 households.
EPA estimates that there are about 12 million urinals currently in use in the United States, and up to 65 percent of them are inefficient models that use significantly more than the federal standard. For every inefficient urinal replaced with a WaterSense labeled model, 4,600 gallons are saved annually. Learn more about the WaterSense specification for flushing urinals.
Water is undervalued in many parts of the country. In fact, about 30% of all water utilities operate at a loss or a deficit.
So where does all your money go? The money you pay toward your water bill is stretched many different ways by utilities.
Water utilities, like any business, need to pay for operating expenses such as electricity, treatment chemicals, maintenance, and employee wages. On average, about 70% of your water bill goes to your water utility's operating expenses.
As they work to collect sufficient revenue to ensure the availability
of clean and safe water, municipalities and water managers try to
keep their rates affordable. Even so, the cost of water and wastewater
varies, and the factors that ultimately set the price differ from
community to community.
Small Community Water Utilities
Many private water utilities serving smaller
communities lack commercial and industrial customers that help keep
costs to residents low. These utilities are sometimes forced to
charge residents nearly double the national average to recoup operating
expenses. In these communities, investing in water efficiency makes
twice as much sense.
Improvement Project Costs
But that only makes up part of your water utility's financial
needs. Many water utilities need money to pay for improvement projects
to upgrade infrastructure or increase capacity--meaning the
ability to provide water to an expanding number of customers--and
they might also need to pay down debt just like the rest of us.
EPA studies estimate that updating aging water and wastewater infrastructure could cost more than $500 billion over the next two decades.
While many of the pipes that deliver water to American homes are relatively new, some pipes are more than 80 years old and well overdue for replacement. And this $500 billion does not include the funds that are needed to build new infrastructure to meet the demands of a growing population!
The good news is that there is something both utilities and consumers
can do to delay these major investments and save money.
WaterSense Savings with Certified Products
WaterSense makes fiscal sense, both from a utility standpoint, and to consumers' wallets. Many water utilities are promoting WaterSense labeled products to help their customers save on water bills and to delay the utilities' need for expensive projects to increase capacity.
So if you're looking for new ways to pinch pennies as a household,
consider the following.
The average household can reduce its water bills by as much as 30% by installing water-efficient plumbing fixtures such as WaterSense labeled toilets and faucets and ENERGY STAR qualified appliances.
Replacing older, inefficient toilets alone could save a family of four some $90 per year. These savings, coupled with potential rebates in your area, mean your bathroom makeover could pay for itself in no time--and pay the savings forward in your community for years to come.
New York City residents use 1.1 billion gallons of water every single day--enough to fill the Empire State Building with water five times!
That's a lot of water, and a lot of potential water savings.
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP) has joined EPA's WaterSense program because efficiency matters.
Leaking toilets and running faucets are among the greatest water-efficiency challenges in New York City.
The city benefits when people use WaterSense labeled toilets and lavatory sinks because they use less water and perform better. Conserving water will not only help New Yorkers save money, but it helps to conserve the supply we all depend on.
As a promotional partner, NYC DEP will help EPA educate consumers
about the value of water, water efficiency, and the WaterSense label.
Public Restrooms in Times Square
WaterSense already made its Broadway debut in 2007 and 2008 with
the Charmin
Holiday Restrooms
in Times Square.
The restrooms featured WaterSense labeled Kohler brand toilets and faucets and spelled relief for both tourists and locals in need of a public restroom during the holiday shopping season and on New Year's Eve.
Since joining the program early this year, NYC DEP has already begun spreading the news about WaterSense to its approximately 9 million customers through its Web site and at public outreach events. Thanks to this partnership and the prospect of better water efficiency, the Big Apple could earn a new nickname: the city that never leaks.
Wash a load of clothes?
Flush a toilet?
Brush your teeth?
Flush a stool?
Water your flowers?
Wash your dishes?
Use this questionnaire to measure your water use: http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/sq3.html
- Draft High-Efficiency Flushing Urinal Specification Cover Letter (PDF) (2 pp, 24K, About PDF)
- Draft High-Efficiency Flushing Urinal Specification (PDF) (3 pp, 42K, About PDF)
- Draft High-Efficiency Flushing Urinal Specification Supporting Statement (PDF) (7 pp, 44K, About PDF)
Become a WaterSense Partner
EPA is building WaterSense as a national brand for water efficiency. The brand is more than just a product label; it is a symbol that represents the importance of water efficiency in the United States. With the help of our partners, WaterSense will encourage water-efficient behaviors and the purchase of quality products that use less water.
Manufacturers
Manufacturers design and produce innovative water-efficient products
that earn the WaterSense label by meeting or exceeding EPA criteria
for efficiency and performance in specific product categories.
Retailers & Distributors
Retailers and distributors bring WaterSense labeled products from
manufacturers to consumers.
Promotional Partners
Promotional partners are utilities, state and local governments,
and other organizations that share information with the program
and promote WaterSense.
Landscape Irrigation Professionals
Landscape irrigation professionals include designers, auditors,
or installation and maintenance professionals that are certified
to implement water-efficiency best practices.
Professional Certifying Organizations
Certifying organizations train and certify professionals to implement
water-efficiency best practices according to specifications set
by EPA in specific professional categories.
WaterSense labeled faucets and faucet accessories (such as aerators) are high-performing, water-efficient fixtures. If every household in America installed a WaterSense labeled faucet or aerator, we could save more than 60 billion gallons of water annually. A WaterSense labeled bathroom sink faucet or aerator will help you reduce water use in your home and save money on water bills.
Showerheads
Showering represents approximately 17 percent of residential indoor water use in the United States--more than 1.2 trillion gallons of water consumed each year. Key performance characteristics include:
- Pressure compensation
- Spray pattern (water distribution)
- Effectiveness (showerhead force and wetting capabilities).
Urinals
Nearly 80% of the urinals in use today--approximately 9.6 million fixtures--exceed the maximum allowable flush volume set by federal standards. High-efficiency flushing urinals can save between 1.0 and 4.5 gallons per flush, without sacrificing performance.
Look for the WaterSense label on flushing urinals later this year. A WaterSense labeled flushing urinal will help you reduce water use in your facility and save money on water bills. Please review the high-efficiency flushing urinals fact sheet for more information.
are responsible for most of the water wasted
in American homes.
High Efficiency Toilets
Managing water is a growing concern in the United
States. Communities across the country are starting to face challenges
regarding water supply and water infrastructure.
WaterSense has adopted an overarching program philosophy, or set of principles, that guides EPA in selecting products for evaluation, developing product specifications, and determining label use, partner status, leader recognition, and marketing efforts.
In order to be considered for a label, products must:
- Perform as well or better than their less efficient counterparts.
- Be about 20 percent more water-efficient than average products in that category.
- Realize water savings on a national level.
- Provide measurable results.
- Achieve water efficiency through several technology options.
- Be effectively differentiated by the WaterSense label.
- Be independently certified.
WaterSense Products and Services
- Bathroom sink faucets
- Flushing urinals
- Landscape irrigation services
- New Homes
- Showerheads
- Toilets
- Weather- or sensor-based irrigation control technologies
Switching to WaterSense labeled bathroom sink faucets or faucet accessories could save your family enough water annually to do 14 loads of laundry.Find a WaterSense labeled product
Find rebate programs offered by WaterSense partners