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WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Penn.) with IAPMO’s enthusiastic support today introduced Water Advanced Technologies for Efficient Resource Use Act of 2015 (WATER Use), a bill that would strengthen existing federal water efficiency efforts, specifically the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (U.S. EPA) WaterSense program.
Modeled after the Department of Energy’s ENERGY STAR program, WaterSense is a labeling and recognition program that seeks to protect the future of the U.S. water supply by offering consumers a simple way to make product-purchasing choices that conserve water with no sacrifice to quality or performance. Services and products earning the WaterSense label have been certified to be at least 20 percent more efficient than average products in the same category without affecting performance. Such products include toilets, urinals, showerheads, bathroom faucets, landscape irrigation controllers and pre-rinse spray valves.
WATER Use would codify the WaterSense program, as well as statutorily direct all federal agencies to give purchase preference to WaterSense certified products and services, providing greater certainty than existing executive orders addressing water conservation. Further, the bill provides tax assistance to state, local, and tribal governments; wastewater, water, and energy utilities; and nonprofit organizations to support incentive programs for consumer purchases of residential water-efficient products and services.
“At a time when western U.S. states are currently facing severe drought conditions, and it’s estimated that 40 out of 50 states will face some form of water shortage over the next decade, we must do everything we can to preserve our most critical natural resource,” Rep. Cartwright said. “The Water Advanced Technologies for Efficient Resource Use Act of 2015 (WATER Use) will move us toward this goal by reinforcing and incentivizing current federal water efficiency efforts.
WATER Use would codify the WaterSense program, as well as statutorily direct all federal agencies to give purchase preference to WaterSense certified products and services.
"Additionally, the provisions of this bill will allow both the federal government and consumers to realize immediate and measurable results from the use of certified, water efficient products and services. I look forward to working with the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) to advance this commonsense piece of legislation."
IAPMO R&T is the leading provider of WaterSense product certification in the nation and has been a U.S. EPA licensed provider, accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), since 2007, certifying the first high-efficiency toilet (HET) to the standard in April of that year. To date, IAPMO R&T, part of The IAPMO Group, has certified thousands of such water-efficient products to the WaterSense specifications.
"EPA's WaterSense program is one of most cost-effective programs within the federal government,” said Dain M. Hansen, senior vice president at The IAPMO Group. “Due to the efforts of WaterSense, since 2006, nearly 350 billion of gallons of water have been saved. We applaud Representative Cartwright's work on The WATER Use Act. In addition to codifying the WaterSense program, this common sense legislation also directs the federal government to purchase the most water efficient products on the market — saving water and ultimately saving taxpayers' money. This bill also provides assistance to state and local governments facing a wide range of water issues. It is clear from the drought impacting much of our nation, this legislation is desperately needed.”
To read the entire bill and view other support documents, direct your web browser to http://goo.gl/Zy7ql7, http://goo.gl/1iAUzZ and http://goo.gl/kpu1tH. For more information, contact Dain Hansen ([email protected]) or Daniel Greene in Rep. Cartwright’s office ([email protected]).