[EPA] – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency  has recognized the Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership, the Municipal Water District of Orange County, KB Home, Energy Inspectors Corporation, and 13 other winners as WaterSense Partners of the Year for creating, rebating, communicating and educating consumers about WaterSense labeled products, homes and programs.

EPA Region 9 is working with all levels of government, tribes, and NGOs to expand and scale-up improved and sustainable water management in response to the ongoing severe drought in the Pacific Southwest. This includes identifying tools to build long-term resiliency to future water supply shortfalls with key actions such as assisting water utilities identify and address losses from in their water distribution systems, advancing innovation in wastewater recycling, promoting stormwater capture for non-potable use and to replenish groundwater, and working with industry and consumers to conserve water through efficient fixtures and practices.

“EPA is proud to honor WaterSense partners for making a difference in drought-stricken communities,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “Our WaterSense partners are helping build stronger, more resilient water systems to meet the challenges ahead.”

WaterSense announced the 2015 Sustained Excellence Award winners, Partners of the Year, and Excellence Award winners today at the WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition in Las Vegas, Nevada. By working together, these water efficiency leaders and more than 1,700 other WaterSense partners have helped Americans save 1.1 trillion gallons of water and $21.7 billion in water and energy bills since 2006.

2015 WaterSense Partners of the Year:

KB Home, headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif., was recognized with a WaterSense Sustained Excellence Award for its continued work building WaterSense labeled homes, for which it previously earned Builder Partner of the Year for four years. In addition to building nearly 100 WaterSense labeled homes in 2014, KB Home also constructed model homes in California featuring innovative water-efficient products, along with graywater recycling systems that provide water for toilet-flushing or landscape irrigation.

Energy Inspectors Corporation, located in Las Vegas, Nev., was recognized as the Licensed Certification Provider Partner of the Year for certifying 100 WaterSense labeled new homes in 2014 and its continued work with KB Home to build even more communities of WaterSense labeled homes. The company also kept its inspectors’ knowledge current through creation of an online training video on the WaterSense indoor and outdoor criteria for homes.

The Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership was recognized as the Professional Certifying Organization Partner of the Year for its Qualified Water Efficient Landscape (QWEL) professional certification program. In 2014, four more organizations adopted the QWEL program and 200 new irrigation professionals were certified. The partnership also updated and promoted a graywater training module.

The Municipal Water District of Orange County, located in Fountain Valley, Calif., was recognized with an Excellence Award for its Sprinkler Spruce-Up campaign as a platform to promote and educate costumers about WaterSense labeled weather-based irrigation controllers and the importance of “sprucing up” irrigation systems.

EPA’s WaterSense program protects the future of our nation’s water supply by offering people a simple way to use less water with water efficient products, new homes and services. In helping to preserve water resources, the important work of the WaterSense program supports the goals of EPA’s Clean Water Rule. And, because saving water also saves energy, the program supports EPA’s Clean Power Plan, which will help communities save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Learn more about the 2015 WaterSense award winners, including more information about the award winners in California and Nevada, at www.epa.gov/watersense.

EPA recognizes WaterSense 2015 Partners of the Year

WASHINGTON, DC., Oct. 8 — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized the 2015 WaterSense award winners for creating, rebating, communicating and educating consumers about WaterSense-labeled products, homes and programs. These 17 winners and more than 1,700 other WaterSense partners have helped Americans save 1.1 trillion gallons of water and $21.7 billion in water and energy bills since 2006.

WaterSense announced the 2015 Sustained Excellence Award winners, Partners of the Year, and Excellence Award winners today at the WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“EPA is proud to honor these WaterSense partners for making a difference every day in communities across the country,” said Ellen Gilinsky, EPA Office of Water Senior Policy Advisor. “With pervasive droughts on the West Coast and Puerto Rico and water shortages expected in many other parts of the country, these leaders show how water efficiency can make the country more resilient to the effects of our changing climate.”

EPA’s WaterSense program protects the future of our nation’s water supply by offering people a simple way to use less water with water-efficient products, new homes and services. In helping preserve water resources, the important work of the WaterSense program supports the goals of EPA’s Clean Water Rule. Also, because saving water also saves energy, the program supports EPA’s Clean Power Plan, which will help communities save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

2015 Sustained Excellence Award Winners:

Kohler Co. received the WaterSense Sustained Excellence Award for the third consecutive year for its efficiency efforts in drought-affected areas. These efforts included partnering with The Home Depot in California to offer special promotions on WaterSense labeled products, as well as supporting the Johnson Foundation’s Charting New Waters Initiative to protect water resources across the country. Kohler also promoted WaterSense labeled products at nearly 200 events in 2014 with its “Trust the Flush” bus tour.

Delta Faucet Company earned its first WaterSense Sustained Excellence Award for promoting water efficiency and WaterSense labeled products. Delta collaborated with global hotel chains on studies targeting water efficiency improvements in hotels; worked with major retail chains to develop strategic plans for marketing WaterSense labeled products; and created internationally recognized WaterSense labeled faucets and a smart toilet.

The Home Depot, a three-time Retailer Partner of the Year, received its first Sustained Excellence Award for the significant WaterSense awareness it generated through in-store promotions, information on its own website, and online advertising campaigns, resulting in 518 billion media impressions. For Fix a Leak Week 2014, The Home Depot led a national water efficiency campaign and gave away household kits with WaterSense labeled products.

KB Home was recognized with a WaterSense Sustained Excellence Award for its continued work building WaterSense labeled homes, for which it previously earned Builder Partner of the Year for four years. In addition to building nearly 100 WaterSense labeled homes in 2014, KB Home also constructed model homes in California featuring innovative water-efficient products, along with graywater recycling systems that provide water for toilet-flushing or landscape irrigation.

2015 Partners of the Year:

Promotional Partner of the Year: The City of Charlottesville (Virginia) promoted WaterSense labeled products through a variety of outlets in 2014, including its annual Fix a Leak Week Family 5K race, the Virginia Discovery Museum’s Kid*Vention event, Charlottesville’s Local Energy Alliance Program, and a new “Blue Team” of high school students who distributed water conservation kits door-to-door.

Promotional Partner of the Year: Cobb County (Georgia) Water System’s promotion of every major WaterSense outreach campaign—including the H₂Otel Challenge, Shower Better Month, Sprinkler Spruce-Up, and Fix a Leak Week—resulted in its fourth WaterSense Promotional Partner of the Year award. For example, during Shower Better Month in 2014, the utility gave 3,600 WaterSense labeled showerheads to retrofit all of the dormitory restrooms at Kennesaw State University.

Promotional Partner of the Year: Murray City (Utah) Corporation’s Tap Into Murray Quality campaign featured traditional media, along with a traveling event booth, to promote WaterSense labeled products and water-efficient practices to community members. The city also marketed its WaterSense labeled toilet rebate program with the help of local plumbers and plumbing suppliers.

Promotional Partner of the Year: Texas A&M Agrilife Research and Extension Center at Dallas used a Mobile WaterSense Home and dual-flush toilet and irrigation controller demonstrations to educate consumers about WaterSense labeled products at regional events. The Center’s successful Find It, Flag It, Fix It campaign helped homeowners identify irrigation system leaks for Fix a Leak Week 2014.

Manufacturer Partner of the Year: The Toro Company focused on educating contractors and end users about properly installing and programming its WaterSense labeled irrigation controllers through partnerships with water agencies and the Irrigation Association’s regional chapters and distributors.

Licensed Certification Provider Partner of the Year: Energy Inspectors Corporation certified 100 WaterSense labeled new homes in 2014 and continued working with KB Home to build even more communities of WaterSense labeled homes. The company also kept its inspectors’ knowledge current through creation of an online training video on the WaterSense indoor and outdoor criteria for homes.

Professional Certifying Organization Partner of the Year: The Sonoma-Marin (California) Saving Water Partnership, which sponsors the Qualified Water Efficient Landscape (QWEL) professional certification program, accepted four organizations that adopted the QWEL program and certified 200 new irrigation professionals in 2014. The partnership also updated and promoted a graywater training module.

Six Excellence Awards were also given to partners for their efforts in specific WaterSense program areas:

• Colorado Springs Utilities (Colorado) for Excellence in Strategic Collaboration
• Denver Water (Colorado) for Excellence in Promoting WaterSense Labeled Products
• Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District and New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services for Excellence in Education and Outreach
• Municipal Water District of Orange County (California) for Excellence in Sprinkler Spruce-Up Activities
• Puget Sound Energy (Washington state) for Excellence in Promoting the Water/Energy Nexus

Learn more about the 2015 Sustained Excellence Award winners, WaterSense Partners of the Year, and Excellence Award winners at www.epa.gov/watersense.