WaterSense partner

1. Determine your partner type. Identify which WaterSense partner category fits your organization: manufacturer (products), retailer, utility, trade association, or non-profit/environmental organization. Each category has slightly different commitments and benefits.

1. Review the Partnership Agreement. Download and read the WaterSense Partnership Agreement from the EPA website. This document outlines your obligations, including annual reporting and proper use of the WaterSense label.

1. Complete the online application. Submit a partnership application through the EPA's WaterSense website. Provide your organization's contact information, describe your water efficiency activities, and agree to the terms of the Partnership Agreement.

1. For product manufacturers — initiate third-party testing. If you manufacture plumbing products (faucets, toilets, showerheads, etc.), identify an EPA-recognized third-party certification body and submit your products for testing against the relevant WaterSense specification.

1. Receive EPA approval and access partner resources. Once approved, the EPA will notify you of your partner status. You will gain access to the WaterSense label, co-branded marketing materials, and the partner resource library.

1. Promote water efficiency and use the label. Begin using the WaterSense label on eligible certified products and in your marketing materials per EPA guidelines. Engage customers and communities in water conservation messaging.

1. Submit your annual activity report. Each year, complete and submit the required annual activity report to the EPA documenting your water efficiency promotion activities, outreach efforts, and any relevant metrics.

For non-product partners (utilities, retailers, trade associations, non-profits), the EPA reviews the partnership application to confirm the organization's commitment to promoting water efficiency. The application is evaluated on the organization's stated water conservation activities, outreach plans, and alignment with WaterSense program goals. Ongoing compliance is assessed through annual activity reports, which document promotional campaigns, customer education efforts, rebate programs, and other water efficiency initiatives completed during the year.

For product manufacturers, the evaluation is performance-based and conducted by EPA-recognized third-party certification bodies. Products are tested against specific WaterSense specifications that set both efficiency thresholds and performance minimums. For example, WaterSense-labeled toilets must use no more than 1.28 gallons per flush while meeting flush performance standards; WaterSense-labeled faucets must flow at no more than 1.5 gallons per minute; and WaterSense-labeled showerheads must not exceed 2.0 gallons per minute. Products must meet both the water savings criteria and the performance criteria — WaterSense explicitly requires that certified products perform as well as or better than standard models.

For irrigation and landscape professionals, WaterSense also offers a certification pathway for irrigation contractors and auditors, who must pass a third-party exam administered by an EPA-recognized certifying organization and demonstrate competency in water-efficient irrigation design, installation, and auditing practices.

WaterSense is one of the most widely recognized water efficiency programs in the United States, with over 2,000 partners and more than 20,000 certified product models as of recent program data. Modeled after the highly successful ENERGY STAR program, WaterSense has become the de facto standard for water-efficient plumbing products in the U.S. residential and commercial markets. Major retailers including Home Depot and Lowe's prominently feature WaterSense-labeled products, and many state and local utility rebate programs specifically require WaterSense certification for rebate eligibility — giving the label significant market pull beyond voluntary adoption.

The program's reach is primarily domestic; outside the United States, other labels such as the EU's Water Label or Australia's WELS scheme serve similar functions. However, multinational manufacturers often pursue WaterSense certification to access the U.S. market, giving the label some indirect international relevance. Demand for WaterSense-certified products has grown steadily as water scarcity concerns increase across the American West and Southeast, and as green building standards like LEED and WELL increasingly reference or reward WaterSense-labeled products in their rating systems.

The program faces no direct domestic competitor of comparable scale or government backing, making it the dominant voluntary water efficiency label in the U.S. Its primary challenge is not competition but rather awareness — consumer recognition of the WaterSense label still lags behind ENERGY STAR, though EPA has invested in co-marketing and retail partnerships to close this gap. The program's long-term relevance is closely tied to federal funding and political support for EPA programs, which can fluctuate with administration changes.

WaterSense was launched by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2006, drawing direct inspiration from the success of the ENERGY STAR program, which had demonstrated that a voluntary federal labeling program could drive significant market transformation in energy efficiency. The program was created in response to growing concerns about freshwater scarcity across the United States, particularly in drought-prone regions of the West and Southwest. Its founding goal was to reduce water use by at least 20% through the promotion of water-efficient products and practices without sacrificing performance.

In its early years, WaterSense focused primarily on residential plumbing fixtures — toilets, faucets, and showerheads — before expanding to include irrigation controllers, pre-rinse spray valves, and new home construction. The program also developed a certification pathway for irrigation professionals. By the mid-2010s, WaterSense had grown into a broad partnership network encompassing manufacturers, utilities, retailers, and non-profits. Key milestones include surpassing 1 trillion gallons of cumulative water savings, the expansion of specifications to cover commercial products, and the integration of WaterSense criteria into major green building rating systems such as LEED. As of its most recent reporting, the program has cumulatively saved over 4.4 trillion gallons of water and $87 billion in water and energy costs since inception.