Tools and Resources

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WaterSense has developed resources to help builders and other professionals in the building industry learn about the features that help to make a home more water-efficient. 

WaterSense Labeled Homes Introductory Guide (August 2022)

The WaterSense Labeled Homes Introductory Guide (pdf) (1.04 MB)  provides an overview of the WaterSense Labeled Homes Program and the certification process. Find out more about the program benefits, stakeholders involved in third-party certification, and how you can get involved in the design, construction, certification, and/or promotion of WaterSense labeled homes. 

Technical Reference Manual for WaterSense Labeled Homes (July 2023)

The Technical Reference Manual for WaterSense Labeled Homes can assist stakeholders in understanding and implementing water-efficient features and design inside and outside their homes. Builders, verifiers, tradespeople, utilities, and local governments looking to adopt water-efficient technologies and techniques will find helpful advice and guidance in this manual.

WaterSense Labeled Homes as a Tool for Water and Land Use Planning

WaterSense labeled homes can serve as a strategic tool for land use planners, water district managers, and others seeking to protect existing water resources while meeting new housing needs. Read EPA’s fact sheet to learn how communities may be able to build more homes by promoting the construction of WaterSense labeled homes.

WaterSense Labeled Homes Across the United States

EPA has developed fact sheets to show how much water a WaterSense labeled home can save compared to a typical home or one that only installs WaterSense labeled products.

zHome Community: A Decade of Water Efficiency and Resident Satisfaction

WaterSense partners Cascade (Washington) Water Alliance and the City of Issaquah (Washington) worked together to evaluate the continued water savings and resident satisfaction of water-efficient homes in Issaquah’s zHome community—the first full community of WaterSense labeled homes in the United States and a model development for sustainable building. Over a decade after construction, the zHomes have demonstrated 77 percent water savings on average compared to typical homes in the area, and 86 percent of residents surveyed strongly agreed they are satisfied with their WaterSense labeled homes. The case study further illustrates the water, energy, and cost savings these WaterSense labeled homes realize, along with resident satisfaction.

The Water Energy Nexus

The drops-to-watts connection adds a powerful appeal to WaterSense labeled homes, which feature an efficient hot water distribution system and WaterSense labeled showerheads and faucets.
         Click to view in full.

Saving water saves energy. Energy efficiency is the top reason high performance homes are in demand, yet the connection between saving water and saving energy is often unrecognized. The drops-to-watts connection adds a powerful appeal to WaterSense labeled homes. WaterSense has developed  resources to further illustrate this water-energy nexus.

  • WaterSense Labeled Homes Communities Save Energy and Support Decarbonization (pdf) (9.08 MB) examines KB Home’s Oak Shade and Durango communities in Menifee, California. All 219 homes in these communities are WaterSense labeled, which means they save water, reduce reliance on the conventional electrical grid, and have significantly lower carbon emissions than typical communities.
  • The WaterSense Labeled Homes Save Energy and Water infographic on the right illustrates how WaterSense labeled homes reduce both water and energy use.
  • EPA’s Energy in Water infographic provides more details about how much energy it takes to move water through the distribution system to get it to your home, how using water also uses energy, and how you can save both water and energy with WaterSense.

Efficient Hot Water Distribution

Hot water distributions systems are a critical part of a home and have a profound impact on its water and energy consumption for decades. For many builders though, they also represent one of the biggest challenges for water efficiency in a home. WaterSense has developed tools to help design more efficient hot water delivery systems. 

WaterSense Water Budget Tool and Landscape Solutions

Outdoor water use can make up much of a home’s annual water use depending on where the home is located and how the landscape is designed. 

Home Maintenance

Properly maintaining your home is an important part of making sure your fixtures, appliances, and systems perform well, save water, and keep utility costs down. WaterSense recommends you follow some simple maintenance tips for your water-using equipment and systems.

View WaterSense's Home Maintenance web page to learn more.

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Last updated on January 14, 2025