Stephanie Tanner has turned WaterSense into an effective, well-respected program that has saved U.S. consumers 487 billion gallons of water and $9 billion.
Stephanie Tanner has turned WaterSense into an effective, well-respected program that has saved U.S. consumers 487 billion gallons of water and $9 billion.
Stephanie Tanner has turned WaterSense into an effective, well-respected program that has saved U.S. consumers 487 billion gallons of water and $9 billion.
Stephanie Tanner has turned WaterSense into an effective, well-respected program that has saved U.S. consumers 487 billion gallons of water and $9 billion.
Stephanie Tanner has turned WaterSense into an effective, well-respected program that has saved U.S. consumers 487 billion gallons of water and $9 billion.

WaterSense chief details progress of flushometer, commercial bowl certification

April 26, 2014
About 11,000 different products are carrying the WaterSense label. Labeled products must be 20% more efficient than required under national standards. Each standard comes along with a performance requirement in addition to the water conservation requirement. There are 26.7 million flushometer valves in use and 500,000 are sold annually. They plan to test matching bowls and fittings from manufacturers and then mix and match bowls and flush valves.

CRYSTAL CITY, VA. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to issue a draft WaterSense standard for flushometer valves and commercial water closets some time this summer, said WaterSense Lead Engineer Stephanie Tanner and EPA contractor Robert Pickering, environmental engineer, Eastern Research Group Inc. Tanner and Pickering provided a WaterSense program update at the International Emerging Technology Symposium here in late April.

Stephanie Tanner has turned WaterSense into an effective, well-respected program that has saved U.S. consumers 487 billion gallons of water and $9 billion.

At the International Emerging Technology Symposium, speakers from across the spectrum of the plumbing and mechanical industry discussed the latest products, technology, trends and best practices in the field. The International Emerging Technology Symposium was co-convened by American Society of Plumbing Engineers, the Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating, the International Association of Plumbing & Mechanical Officials, the Mechanical Contractors Association of America, Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors – National Association, Plumbing Manufacturers International, the United Association, and the World Plumbing Council.

Tanner has turned WaterSense into an effective, well-respected program that has saved U.S. consumers 487 billion gallons of water and $9 billion even though it has never been authorized by Congress or given its own funding. It’s the estimate of this magazine that Tanner is running WaterSense on a budget of about $2 million, which is the change she finds under the couch cushions of the EPA/DOE $50 million-plus Energy Star program. Previous efforts to authorize and fund WaterSense have gone nowhere in Congress.

Tanner holds a degree in marine engineering from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and a Master’s Degree in Engineering Management from George Washington University.

About 11,000 different products are carrying the WaterSense label. Licensed third party certifying bodies backed by EPA certify the products. EPA provides standardization, consumer education, and helps push promising products toward commercialization. Labeled products must be 20% more efficient than required under national standards, such as the 1.6-gpf legal requirement for water closets. If there is no national standard for a product, the WaterSense requirements must be better than the average for that type of product.

Includes a performance requirement

Each standard comes along with a performance requirement in addition to the water conservation requirement. Developing a performance requirement that’s lab-testable is challenging, Tanner said. Creating performance that’s acceptable to consumers is crucial, she said, so that consumers don’t alter or replace WaterSense products because they aren’t happy with them.

“We want to see savings that are persistent,” she said. Water utilities that offer a rebate for retrofits insist on it so that the money they invest results in long-term water savings.

EPA tries to develop test methods that it can use on multiple products. The agency discovered, for example, that the test protocol it developed for showerheads could by modified and used for pre-rinse spray valves. That protocol will be tweaked and used for the standard for sprayers for pet groomers.

Near term, the agency is looking to create standards for water softeners, soil moisture detectors for irrigation systems, flushometers, and additional professional certifications.

Plumber certification sought

WaterSense has created a professional certification for landscape contractors although it has not designed a certification for plumbers. Steve Lehtonen, who runs GreenPlumbersUSA for IAPMO, told CONTRACTOR that WaterSense certification is a goal of his organization. Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors – National Association has been lobbying for an installer certification as part of the WaterSense for Homes program since 2008.

For 2015 and beyond, the agency will consider certifications for irrigation sprinkler heads, water treatment systems, whole house humidifiers, kitchen equipment, water meters and a water conservation benchmark for multi-family residential buildings.

“There are 26.7 million flushometer valves in use and 500,000 are sold annually,” Tanner said. If all of them used 1.28-gpf on water closets, it would save 56 billion gallons.

EPA published a Notice of Intent in August 2013 and Tanner said that it would issue certifications for flushometer valves and for commercial bowls separately.

Pickering told the gathering that the WaterSense standard will be 1.28-gpf, and that dual flush models would have to use no more than a combined 1.28-gpf. The agency would comply with ANSI standards for flush valves, including the waste extraction requirements.

Pickering said that major commercial building owners have told EPA they are concerned with toilet paper clinging to the bowl above the water line and the ability of a water closet to clear all of the odd and inappropriate material that might end up in a commercial water closet.

The agency is testing existing products to try to determine what a reasonable duty factor is. They have found that commercial toilets will flush a seat cover all the time if it’s entirely in contact with the water but that trying to flush two seat covers has a high probability of failure. They are trying to determine if there is a repeatable way for testing labs to place seat covers in toilets.

The agency is currently running a test in which they place four wads of brown Kraft paper, similar to paper towels, at the four compass points at or above the water line. They are doing an identical test with four wads of toilet paper. They have found a range of performance levels. EPA will refine the test procedure for both.

The test must be effective, realistic and repeatable, Pickering said.

Will mix and match bowls and valves

They plan to test matching bowls and fittings from manufacturers and then mix and match bowls and flush valves. Each flush valve will be tested with bowls from three different manufacturers and each manufacturer’s bowl will be tested with flush valves from three different manufacturers.

Flush valves must have a non-hold-open design. The flush volume cannot be field adjusted more than ±10%. They cannot use repair parts that will change the flush volume. The flush volume must be marked on the valve body whether it is a single flush volume or a dual flush model.

After completing the testing analysis and test protocol, EPA will release a draft standard by some time this summer, Pickering said, followed by 60 days of public comment.

Jim Kendzel, ASPE’s CEO/executive director, asked Tanner what the industry could do to help. Participate in the program; tell Congress that the program has value; and provide the data EPA needs to justify the program, Tanner responded. In particular, the agency is looking for research on the efficacy of dual-flush toilets. Dual-flush toilets were installed in the EPA headquarters building and the agency is not getting the savings it anticipated and it doesn’t know why.

Plumbing engineer Ron George urged Tanner and Pickering to work with the Plumbing Efficiency Research Coalition, which is testing drainline carry. An earlier session at the IETS discussed sewer clogs caused by baby wipes and fats, oil and greases that find their way into the sewer. Because inappropriate non-flushable items get flushed, George cautioned against establishing a flush volume that may result in sewer clogs.

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Contractor, create an account today!