What It Is WaterSense and How It Works

Did you know a toilet can use up to 6 gallons of water in a single flush? That’s a lot of perfectly good, treated water gone in just a few seconds. Now picture that happening over and over, day after day, in every bathroom in your home.

I didn’t think much about it either until I started looking at my own water bill and realized how much money was literally being flushed away. The good news is, this is a fixable problem. Thanks to WaterSense, water-efficient products are available today that can help you cut that waste without changing your daily routine.

Key Takeaways

• The WaterSense label identifies plumbing fixtures and irrigation products that meet strict water-saving and performance criteria.

• The program is run by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), not private manufacturers.

• WaterSense-certified products must be independently tested for both efficiency and everyday usability.

• Homeowners can save water and utility bills by choosing WaterSense products, especially for toilets, faucets, and showerheads.

• New standards and testing updates continue to shape the program, so labels may change over time.

What Is WaterSense?

A voluntary partnership program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), WaterSense serves as a model for water conservation. It helps consumers identify products designed to use less water while maintaining reliable performance.

A product bearing the WaterSense label has been independently tested to:

• • Work just as well as, or better than, similar products that use more water.

  • Use about 20% less water than the average product in their category.

  • Contribute to meaningful water savings when used across homes and businesses nationwide.

  • Provide measurable water savings results.

  • Achieve water efficiency through several technology options.

According to a 2014 Government Accountability Report, 40 out of 50 state water managers expect water shortages under average conditions in some portion of their states over the next decade. This just shows how easy it is for everyday household routines to add up and put more pressure on the water supply than most of us realize.

That’s what makes WaterSense such a smart and practical idea. It not only guides consumers to choose products that use less water but also eases the pressure on water utilities and helps keep water supplies available in the long run. The EPA achieves this by collaborating with manufacturers, retailers, and consumers to promote products and practices that cut water use and reduce environmental impact.

Benefits of WaterSense-Labeled Products

1. Water and Money Savings

Switching to WaterSense products is one of the most cost-effective ways to cut everyday water use. According to the EPA, a home that replaces older fixtures with WaterSense-certified models can save 13,000 gallons of water and $130 in water costs each year. For example,

• • Watersense-labeled toilets can save about 20–60% more water per flush than older models.

  • WaterSense-labeled faucets and aerators reduce flow rates while maintaining strong pressure, lowering both water and energy consumption.

I’ve seen those savings echoed in everyday homeowner experiences as well. In one Reddit discussion, a homeowner who installed two dual-flush toilets said the water savings were enough to pay for the fixtures themselves.

2. Performance and User Experience

Early water-saving designs often cut water by simply restricting flow, which meant showerheads that felt like a trickle, faucets that took longer to rinse soap, and toilets that sometimes needed a second flush. WaterSense-labeled models are different because they’re required to meet performance standards, not just use less water. 

In plain terms: they’re built to save water without feeling underpowered. Meaning, toilets flush effectively in one go, showerheads deliver a full, comfortable spray, and faucets maintain steady flow for everyday tasks.

3. Environmental Impact

Efficient water use helps ease pressure on municipal systems, pumping, and heating. It also helps communities protect their long-term water supply, especially in drought-prone regions. Because conserving water also reduces the energy used to heat and deliver it, WaterSense products indirectly lower household carbon output.

When these savings are repeated across millions of homes, the impact adds up—allowing EPA WaterSense to drive measurable water conservation at the national level, totaling billions of gallons each year.

How Does the WaterSense Program Work?

Companies that make toilets, faucets, showerheads, irrigation products, and other fixtures can decide to pursue the WaterSense label. It’s not required for every fixture on the market, but manufacturers opt in because they want to show customers the product meets a recognized efficiency benchmark.

For a product to earn WaterSense certification, it must fulfill the program's specific requirements for its category. The WaterSense program uses a rigorous process to validate products before they become available in stores:

1. WaterSense partners with manufacturers to produce water-efficient products that meet EPA’s strict efficiency and performance criteria.

2. The products go through testing by third-party certification bodies that the EPA approves. These independent organizations check two things:

• • • Efficiency: The product must use at least 20% less water than a typical product in its category.
    • Performance: It must meet category-specific performance standards so it works reliably in real homes.

3. If the product meets the EPA’s criteria and passes testing, it earns the EPA WaterSense label.

4. This label is placed directly on the product, making it simple for consumers to recognize and select products certified to reduce water consumption.

Once a product earns the WaterSense label, it remains WaterSense certified as long as it continues to meet the EPA’s current specifications. There’s no set expiration date printed on the label. However, the Environmental Protection Agency periodically updates WaterSense standards as technology improves and new efficiency goals are introduced. When those updates happen, some older models may no longer meet the revised criteria. In that case, manufacturers have to retest or redesign products to continue using the WaterSense label.

How to Verify a Watersense Label

The mark is standardized and controlled by the EPA, which helps prevent misuse or misleading claims. The official WaterSense label has a very specific design:

• • A green and blue water droplet icon

  • The word “WaterSense” clearly printed inside or beside the droplet

  • The phrase “Meets EPA Criteria” included as part of the mark

If any of these elements are missing, altered, or replaced with similar wording, the product is not using the official label. You’ll typically find the Watersense label in one or more of these places:

• • On the product packaging (boxes, tags, or labels)

  • In online product listings, often near the product name or specifications

  • In product manuals or specification sheets

  • On signage in plumbing supply stores or home improvement retailers

Legitimate Watersense products use the exact same logo design across all platforms. The EPA does not allow manufacturers to create custom versions of the label. Some products use phrases like “low-flow,” “eco,” or “water-saving” without meeting EPA criteria. These claims are not the same as being WaterSense certified.

To make sure a fixture is truly WaterSense certified, consumers can:

• • Search the EPA’s WaterSense Product Search tool, which lists all approved models.

  • Check the product’s packaging for certification details.

  • Look for the specific model number and compare it with the EPA database.

This step is useful for avoiding confusion with generic “eco” or “green” labels that do not meet EPA criteria.

WaterSense Criteria for Products and Current Standards

The EPA defines specific criteria for each category of water efficient products, including:

1. 1. Toilets

   2. Bathroom sink faucets/accessories

   3. Showerheads

   4. Flushing urinals

   5. Flushometer-valve toilets

   6. Weather-based irrigation controllers

   7. Spray sprinkler bodies

   8. Point-of-use reverse osmosis water treatment systems

   9. Soil moisture-based irrigation controllers

The criteria for WaterSense certified products and services are stringent and scientifically based, focusing on water efficiency, performance, and reliability. To earn the WaterSense label, products must:

• • Use less water than typical models in the same category while maintaining or exceeding performance benchmarks.

  • Meet performance and reliability benchmarks, so it doesn’t feel like a downgrade in daily use.

  • Be backed by measured results, based on actual performance testing data (not assumptions). Not every product type qualifies for labeling, and categories are only considered when the data supports clear water savings and reliable performance.

WaterSense also covers certain services. For example, landscape-related services must follow WaterSense specifications and promote efficient outdoor watering practices. Not simply recommend less watering, but apply proven methods that reduce waste.

Recent WaterSense Updates

As I mentioned earlier, WaterSense updates its standards from time to time to reflect improvements in product design and realistic opportunities to conserve water resources. Some of these recent changes and proposals include:

By establishing these high standards, WaterSense ensures that certified products and services contribute effectively to conserving water, delivering tangible environmental benefits and operational cost savings.

Comparing WaterSense vs. Non-WaterSense Products

* The savings can be significant, but they vary depending on local water rates, fixture condition, household size, and climate. For example, a family in a high-cost water district may see larger savings than one on a low flat rate.

WaterSense vs Low Flow Labels

Low-flow is a general term for fixtures that use less water than older models. Sometimes it’s simply a marketing claim, and other times it means the product meets a basic flow limit. On packaging, these low-flow claims often show up as text like “Low Flow,” “Low-Flow,” or “Water-Saving,” flow-rate numbers (such as “2.0 GPM” or “1.6 GPF”), or phrases like “meets federal standards” or “complies with regulations.”

Now, many people assume that low-flow and watersense mean the same thing. They don’t. With a generic low-flow label, you’re mostly taking the manufacturer’s word for it. With the WaterSense label, the product has been independently tested to meet EPA criteria for both efficiency and real-world performance.

Emerging Technologies in WaterSense Products

WaterSense partnerships encourage innovation of water efficient products to make them more reliable and enjoyable to use. Innovations include:

• • Smarter irrigation controllers that adjust watering based on weather

  • Faucet aerators that maintain steady pressure with lower flow rates

  • Showerheads designed to create fuller spray patterns with less water

  • Pressure-regulating sprinkler bodies that reduce water loss from misting

These advancements not only enhance water efficiency but also maintain, or even improve, the performance and convenience for users, demonstrating that water conservation and innovation can go hand-in-hand.

What Is a WaterSense-Labeled Home?

A WaterSense-labeled home is a certified water-efficient home that meets the EPA’s WaterSense Specification for Homes (Version 2.0). To earn the label, a home must be at least 30% more water-efficient than a comparable typical new construction home. WaterSense-labeled homes must:

1. 1. Contain WaterSense-certified fixtures 

   2. Be free of visible leaks in fixtures and pipes

   3. Be verified by trained verifiers and certified by a Home Certification Organization (HCO)

And the reason people love these homes today is simple: the savings can be huge. In the EPA’s case study of the first community of WaterSense-labeled homes (the zHome community in Issaquah, Washington), the homes averaged about 15,600 gallons of water per year, compared to about 69,000 gallons for typical nearby homes. That’s about 77% less water use. That efficiency translated to roughly $600 a year in combined water and energy-bill savings, plus an estimated 1,700 pounds of CO₂ avoided per home each year from reduced hot water heating.

WaterSense Water Conservation Programs and Campaigns

Take the I’m for Water Pledge

The I’m for Water pledge is a public commitment led by EPA WaterSense that encourages individuals to adopt everyday water-saving habits at home and outdoors. Participants sign the pledge online and receive tips, reminders, and shareable content that promote smarter water use. The program focuses on behavior change, helping households reduce strain on the local water supply through simple, repeatable actions.

Fix a Leak Week

Because minor household leaks waste nearly 1 trillion gallons of water each year in U.S. homes, Fix a Leak Week was created by EPA WaterSense to spotlight the problem and prompt quick, practical repairs. It’s a nationwide annual campaign, with events and demos designed to show homeowners how to spot leaks (like running toilets, dripping faucets, or irrigation issues) and fix them.

In 2026, Fix a Leak Week runs March 16–22 2026. To join in locally, use the WaterSense Event Map to find nearby activities and browse past events.

Sprinkler Spruce-Up

Sprinkler Spruce-Up is an education campaign that promotes efficient outdoor watering practices. The learning material centers on the “Inspect, Connect, Direct, Select” guide, which walks homeowners through checking sprinkler heads for damage or leaks, confirming all connections are tight, and aiming sprays so water lands on landscapes—not sidewalks or streets. The guide also explains how to select the right watering schedule and equipment, helping households reduce waste while keeping lawns and plants healthy.

When it's Hot

When It’s Hot is a set of educational materials designed to help households manage outdoor water use during high-temperature periods. The resources explain how heat increases evaporation and provide practical watering tips, such as timing irrigation for early morning and adjusting controllers. These materials support better decisions during peak demand periods, when water use often spikes.

When in Drought

When in Drought offers guidance for reducing water use during drought conditions or local water restrictions. The materials explain how drought impacts water systems and outline priority actions, including limiting outdoor watering and choosing water efficient products. Utilities and communities often share these resources to support local water conservation efforts.

H2Otel Challenge

The H2Otel Challenge is a voluntary program that encourages hotels to reduce water use by upgrading water fixtures and improving operations. Participating properties are guided to ACT, a simple framework that guides hotels to:

• • Assess: Assess where and how water is used

  • Change: Change to water-efficient products and better practices.

  • Track: Track water use to measure results over time.

As of writing, more than 860 hotels have signed up.

Incentives, Rebates, and Local Programs

Many utilities offer rebates or bill credits for upgrading to WaterSense products, especially for WaterSense toilets, irrigation controllers, and other high-efficiency fixtures. Programs vary by location and season, so the table below gives a realistic snapshot of what many programs typically offer.

To find rebates,

1. 1. Check your local water utility’s website. 
   2. Search for “WaterSense rebate” plus your city
   3. Look at regional conservation program listings
   4. Ask a contractor or plumber familiar with local incentives

Rebates can change from year to year, so you should always confirm current offers rather than rely on older information. In some regions, rebate amounts increase during drought years to promote quicker adoption of WaterSense-certified fixtures.

WaterSense FAQs

What is WaterSense certified?

WaterSense certified means a product has been independently tested to meet efficiency and superior performance criteria set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Products with the WaterSense label use less water while still working the way most people expect.

Is WaterSense required?

No, WaterSense is a voluntary program, not a legal requirement. Manufacturers choose to participate to show their products meet trusted standards for water efficiency and performance.

How do you calculate water savings?

Water savings are typically calculated by comparing the water use of a WaterSense product to a standard fixture under typical household use. Actual financial savings depend on how often the product is used, local water rates, and household size.

What does WaterSense mean in toilets?

In toilets, the WaterSense label means the product uses at least 20% less water than standard models while still meeting strict performance criteria set by the EPA. For example, WaterSense toilets are tested to flush reliably using no more than 1.28 gallons per flush.

Do WaterSense products require special installation?

No, most WaterSense products install the same way as standard fixtures. In most cases, plumbers and homeowners can replace existing fixtures without any special tools or changes to plumbing.

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