The First Facility Management Blog

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its first WaterSense specification for a commercial building product—flushing urinals—on October 9, 2009. WaterSense-labeled flushing urinals will use 50% less water than standard urinals, which is expected to save 4,000 gallons of water per year for every model installed.

The intent of this specification is to assist facility professionals in identifying and differentiating those products that have met EPA’s criteria for water efficiency and performance. This final specification addresses flushing urinals—urinals that use water to convey waste through a trap seal into a gravity drainage system—and their flushing devices. Devices using other techniques such as non-water urinals, composting urinals, and retrofit devices or other aftermarket retrofit systems are not covered by this specification.

While current federal standards set the maximum allowable flush volume at one gallon per flush (gpf), an estimated 7.8 million urinals currently in use are older inefficient models. In addition to using no more than a half gallon per flush, urinals bearing the WaterSense label must meet EPA’s performance requirements, ensuring they work as well or better than standard models. All WaterSense labeled products are independently tested and certified to meet criteria for both efficiency and performance. To ensure satisfactory performance, urinals will be tested for flush effectiveness and other measures before they can earn the WaterSense label.

WaterSense product research has shown that there are at least eight manufacturers offering nearly 40 models of high efficiency flushing urinals that are expected to meet the requirements of this specification and would be qualified to apply for and use the WaterSense label.

More information from the EPA can be found here…

On June 1, 2009, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to mark ANSI’s acceptance as an Accreditation Body (AB) to participate in the EPA WaterSense Program.

The WaterSense program helps consumers to identify products that conserve water while maintaining high performance levels. Products certified by accredited certification bodies may carry a WaterSense label, giving consumers an easy way to identify quality, water efficient products.

As the first AB approved to perform accreditation services under the WaterSense program, ANSI is pleased to announce the launch of a new pilot accreditation program for EPA-licensed certification bodies. ANSI accreditation adds value to the certification process, assuring that certification bodies demonstrate compliance with the WaterSense product certification system and are capable and competent to carry out their responsibilities.

Applications for the pilot program will be accepted from June 1 to June 30, 2009. Applications received beyond the June 30 due date will be considered for accreditation following the completion of the pilot program.

“Managing water conservation continues to be a growing concern in the United States,” explains Lane Hallenbeck, ANSI vice president of accreditation services. “ANSI is proud to add value to EPA’s WaterSense program through independent, third-party accreditation, as it enhances market confidence for water-efficient products, programs and practices.”

Specifically, ANSI will assess the competence of certification bodies against the requirements set forth in:

• International Standard ISO/IEC Guide 65, General requirements for bodies operating product certification systems, developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC);
• International Accreditation Forum - Guidance on application of ISO/IEC Guide 65, and
• U.S. EPA’s own requirements as defined in the WaterSense Product Certification System.

ANSI understands and has demonstrated the importance of accreditation in supporting consumer safety and international trade. The Institute’s portfolio of accreditation services includes programs for all types of certification and verification bodies, including those for products, personnel, greenhouse gas emissions, as well as standards developers.

“ANSI is acknowledged for its long and successful track record in accrediting certification programs for a wide variety of products, personnel, and services,” continued Hallenbeck. “We are pleased to be the first Accreditation Body recognized by EPA under its WaterSense initiative, and we look forward to the continued growth of this exciting program.”

Kohler Co., a global company focused on kitchen and bath design and technology, was chosen by the Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program as the Manufacturing Partner of the Year.

“Kohler is honored to be recognized by the EPA for the company’s efforts promoting the WaterSense program and overall water efficiency,” said Shane Judd, senior product manager for water conservation at Kohler. “Public education, along with new water efficient products and building design methods, are critical to contain water use. Kohler has responded to this need by developing new products that use less water, but don’t sacrifice performance.”

EPA launched the WaterSense Awards program last February, honoring work performed during 2007. The new awards recognize WaterSense partners who helped advance the overall mission of WaterSense; increased awareness of the WaterSense program in a measurable way; and demonstrated overall excellence in the water efficiency arena.

Kohler displays the WaterSense logo in product literature, on its Web site, at trade shows, and regularly conducts continuing education courses on water efficiency. These courses are hosted across the country, where architects, designers, builders, and plumbers learn from Kohler trained associates the importance of specifying water saving products inside the home, and the ultimate benefits to the end customer.

Moreover, the company’s spokesperson, Ed Del Grande of Ed the Plumber on the DIY Network, tours the United States talking about high efficiency toilets, conducting interviews on reducing water use, and promoting WaterSense for audiences at national trade shows.

One of the accomplishments by Kohler in 2007 was the promotion of WaterSense toilets at the Charmin Holiday Restrooms in New York City. A combination of high efficiency toilets and low flow faucet aerators saved New York more than 500,000 gallons of water in a six week period.

“Kohler understands that using water more wisely is an imperative element to sustainable design, and choosing water saving plumbing products is easy and can have a huge impact on water consumption,” added Judd.

WaterSense, the EPA’s voluntary public/private partnership program, seeks to protect the future of the nation’s water supply by promoting water efficiency and enhancing the market for water efficient products, programs, and practices. Plumbing fixtures and faucets that qualify for the WaterSense label assure consumers of actual water savings and strict performance standards.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized its first WaterSense Partners of the Year on October 9 in Las Vegas, NV. The four organizations and individuals chosen represent the best of WaterSense’s four partner categories, according to the Agency. The awards recognize their efforts for increasing water efficiency across the United States.

The Winners

Promotional Partner of the Year: The Saving Water Partnership

In 2000, Seattle Public Utilities and 17 other local utilities formed the Saving Water Partnership to promote efficient water use in Seattle and King County, WA. In 2007, the Saving Water Partnership incorporated WaterSense labeled products and outreach into its local water efficiency campaign through public service announcements, outreach to plumbers, and public events.

Manufacturer Partner of the Year: Kohler Co.

Kohler contributed to building the WaterSense “buzz” through its active promotion of WaterSense labeled products on the trade show circuit, on its Web site, and through publicity events, including the Charmin Holiday Restrooms in New York City’s Times Square. In partnership with Procter & Gamble, Kohler provided 20 WaterSense labeled toilets in luxurious portable restrooms strategically placed for shoppers in one of Manhattan’s busiest areas during the 2007 holiday season. As a result, an estimated 500,000 visitors in Times Square experienced firsthand the high performing, water efficient WaterSense labeled toilets.

Retailer/Distributor Partner of the Year: Ferguson

The company uses point of purchase displays and has made an effort to work with municipalities to stay abreast of rebate programs. Ferguson has educated its staff of 22,000 associates in 1,400 service centers located in all 50 states about the benefits of water efficiency and WaterSense labeled products.

Irrigation Partner of the Year: Timothy Malooly

Malooly has worked as a practitioner in the irrigation industry for 26 years and is president of two Minnesota-based irrigation firms: Irrigation Consultants & Control, Inc., an irrigation design, consulting and technology company, and Irrigation By Design, Inc., an irrigation installation and service company. These companies have been responsible for design and/or installation of water-efficient irrigation systems for a variety of projects, including the first residential project to receive Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, Russia’s Grizzly Coast exhibit at the Minnesota Zoological Garden, and master planned community projects such as the Spirit of Brandtjen Farm in Lakeville, MN.

Looking To 2009

EPA announced the first annual WaterSense awards program in February 2008, with applications due in April 2008. The new awards program was designed to recognize WaterSense partners who helped advance the overall mission of WaterSense; increased awareness of the WaterSense brand in a measurable way; and demonstrated overall excellence in the water efficiency arena.

Later this year, WaterSense will announce 2009 Partner of the Year categories, eligibility requirements, and evaluation criteria. After evaluating the 2008 application submissions, EPA may revise the evaluation criteria for 2009, but they are likely to be similar to those used in 2008.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 36 states will experience non-drought-related water shortages in the next 10 years. And, increasingly, facility managers are implementing ways to reduce water consumption in their buildings. This includes plumbing fixtures that use less water to function than in previous years. In terms of toilets, the The National Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct) required plumbing fixture manufacturers to reduce toilet water consumption from 3.5 gallons per flush (gpf) to 1.6 gpf. This helped the movement to reduce water usage.

However, there is another toilet technology that uses even less water per flush–High Efficiency Toilets (HETs). These fixtures — defined as a toilet that consumes a minimum of 20% less water than the 1.6 gpf models mandated by EPAct, that is, a maximum of 1.28 gpf — entered the U.S. market in 1998. And with the ongoing pressure to continue conservation efforts, facility managers may want to look at HETs (available from some manufacturers in dual flush models) for their next restroom renovation or new construction project.

When shopping, the EPA’s WaterSense voluntary product-labeling program can be a starting point. The program, launched in 2006, contains a specification for HETs. There are currently HETs from 25 manufacturers that have made the WaterSense list; among this list are American Standard, Kohler, TOTO, and Zurn.

American Standard has made available a white paper “High Efficiency Toilets (HETs): Why ‘Flushing with Confidence’ is Here to Stay”, which provides an overview of why HETs were developed, how American Standard developed its models to achieve powerful flushing performance, and how these low-flow fixtures can aid in water conservation efforts.

Authored by C.J. Lagan, compliance engineering manager for American Standard Brands, the 3-page document can be downloaded, free of charge, at this Web link.

The paper reviews the flushing technologies developed by American Standard, including the company’s methods to harness gravity, use larger flush valves and trapways, efficiently size water spots and well contours, and create water flow dynamics that contributed to performance of the company’s HET collections.

Do you have HETs in your facility? Have they performed as well as previous models? If you don’t have them in your facility, would you consider them?