U.S. House Subcommittee Rejects Proposed Elimination of the EPA WaterSense Program

At the urging of the Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE) and other industry partners, the U.S. House of Representatives' Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, which oversees funding for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has issued its Fiscal Year 2018 agency funding report rejecting the proposed elimination of the EPA's WaterSense® program–see pg. 58 of the report.

AWE applauds the subcommittee members, led by Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA), for taking this strong stance on behalf of this vital consumer product efficiency labeling program. In April, AWE and 186 manufacturers, businesses, water providers, academic institutions and other efficiency advocates delivered a letter to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt promoting the virtues of WaterSense and urging its continued funding.

A true public-private partnership, the WaterSense® program has saved American taxpayers more than $32 billion (2015 dollars) on their water and energy bills in the last ten years. It has saved 1.5 trillion gallons of water to date, providing greater water security given that 40 out of 50 states are anticipating water shortages in the years to come, according to a 2013 Government Accountability Report. It also helps consumers manage their water costs and can help American families reduce their water bills by up to $350 per year.

Next steps involve approving a budget for FY2018 and authorizing the WaterSense® program, both of which require an act of Congress. To date, two bills have been introduced that would do just that, with a third about to be filed, and AWE is seeking signers for related Letters of Support. Links to our efforts follow. Take this important step and sign on to support the WaterSense® program.

S. 1137, the Clean Safe Reliable Water Infrastructure Act (Introduced 5/16/2017) 

H.R. 3248, the Water Advanced Technologies for Efficient Resource Use Act of 2017 (Introduced 7/13/2017)