Bringing Water Savings to Your Community with WaterSense Labeled Homes

Published: October 18, 2023

On Wednesday, October 18, AWE hosted a webinar with EPA WaterSense to highlight how changes to the program open new opportunities for builders and communities that are looking to meet the demand for water and sustain growth in their communities. We shared an overview of the WaterSense labeled homes certification process, how WaterSense-labeled homes use less water outdoors, and local governments' incentives for water-efficient homes.

Speakers: Jonah Schein, National Program Manager for Homes & Buildings, EPA WaterSense; Olga Cano, Environmental Engineer, EPA WaterSense; and Sara Lavoy, Environmental Protection Specialist, EPA WaterSense

Introduction to Water Conservation Program Planning

Published: August 5, 2020

***PLEASE NOTE - Recordings of both Parts 1 and 2, along with related handouts, are hosted on a Thinkific course page.  Access costs $75/person. Click here to gain access.***

This is the first class module in what would ultimately be a series of courses on water efficiency and conservation. This course, split into two recorded sessions, is an overview of planning steps for a successful water conservation program that incorporates the basic steps from Amy Vickers’s widely referenced Handbook of Water Use and Conservation and other planning sources.

The course presentation includes:

  • Common conservation and efficiency definitions and concepts and units of water measurement;
  • Long-term conservation strategies compared to short-term drought response;
  • Impacts of conservation on future water demands and water and wastewater capital facility planning and costs;
  • Contrasts between water supply-side and demand-side economics, policies, and planning approaches;
  • Why and how to establish water saving goals for conservation plans;
  • Water use data analytics and how to evaluate common customer demand characteristics and per capita metrics;
  • Connections between water demands and water quality, population, environment, health, and climate;  and
  • Features of successful conservation programs.

A recorded discussion among Amy, Mary Ann and live webinar participants follows the presentations, and numerous handouts are available to view and down by paid participants.

What the Future Holds for Indoor Household Water Efficiency

Published: January 9, 2019

This presentation discusses the significant gains in the water efficiency of the latest technological advances in the indoor residential appliances. Also, the webinar discusses what the connected and interconnected energy and water consumption looks like in the future of homes, with examples from the worlds’ first retrofitted net zero energy water and waste live-in research home, the ReNEWW House. Presented to high acclaim in various parts of the country; now available as recorded webinar.