WaterSense Expands to Bathroom Faucets

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released the latest standard for its WaterSense program (see

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Vol. 15, No. 7), adding residential bathroom faucets to the list of products that can be certified. Qualifying faucets must have a flow rate of at least 0.8 gallons per minute (gpm; 3 liters per minute [lpm]) at 20 psi (140 kPa) but no more than 1.5 gpm (5.7 lpm) at 60 psi (415 kPa). The minimum rate is designed to ensure user satisfaction in situations with low water pressure, according to the supporting statement for the standard issued by WaterSense. Accessories that make faucets more efficient, such as aerators, can also qualify for the WaterSense label. The standard went into effect on October 1, 2007, and EPA expects the first labeled products to be available early in 2008. More information is available at www.epa.gov/watersense/pp/bathroom_faucets.htm.