CalWEP Wins 2024 WaterSense® Excellence Award
Washington, D.C.—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized the California Water Efficiency Partnership with a WaterSense Excellence Award for Certification Program Growth. WaterSense honored its Sustained Excellence, Partner of the Year, and Excellence Award winners during the WaterSmart Innovations (WSI) Conference in Las Vegas. CalWEP was one of 22 Excellence Award winners.
Overall, CalWEP partnered with various water agencies throughout 2023 to host four in-person and five virtual Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper trainings in either English or Spanish for a total of nine trainings. The trainings resulted in a total of 162 certifications.
WaterSense, a voluntary partnership program sponsored by the EPA, is both a label for water-efficient products and a resource for helping consumers learn ways to save water. More than 2,100 manufacturers, builders, retailers, utilities, government, and nonprofit organizations partner with WaterSense to produce and promote water-efficient products, programs, and homes.
“More than ever, consumers and businesses are looking to conserve resources, cut costs, and reduce their carbon footprint,” said Veronica Blette, Acting Associate Director of the Water Infrastructure Division in the EPA Office of Wastewater Management. “Our WaterSense Award winners for 2024 made it easy for Americans to make water-efficient choices and find WaterSense labeled products and homes that save water, energy, and money while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
Since EPA launched the program in 2006, nearly 46,000 WaterSense labeled models of plumbing and irrigation products have helped consumers and businesses save 8.7 trillion gallons of water; the amount of energy needed to pump, treat, and heat water by 997 billion kilowatt hours; and $207 billion in water and energy bills. These savings also helped prevent 379 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, which is equivalent to planting 6.3 billion trees.
"The growth of our QWEL program shows that California water agencies are eager to support a sustainable landscaping market transformation," said CalWEP's Co-Executive Director, Tia Fleming. "CalWEP's incredible staff, partnering member agencies, and hired professional trainers ensures our QWEL trainings are well attended and of the highest quality. We are grateful to be recognized by the EPA WaterSense program for this accomplishment!"
For more information about WaterSense, visit www.epa.gov/watersense.
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WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by the EPA, seeks to protect the future of our nation's water supply by offering consumers and businesses simple ways to use less water with water-efficient products, homes, and services.