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| IAS Recognized by EPA as WaterSense Accreditation Body |
| By Ron Coiner, IAS Program Manager |
The WaterSense program is similar in concept to the Department of Energy's Energy Star program. The goal of the program is to decrease indoor and outdoor nonagricultural water consumption by encouraging the use of more efficient products. The WaterSense program promotes water conservation in large part by increasing public awareness of the availability of water-efficient products. These products must not only meet the high level of product performance that consumers have come to expect, but they also must meet new EPA specifications that address water conservation. Products that meet the program requirements are authorized to bear the WaterSense label. The WaterSense label provides an easy way for consumers to differentiate between products that have met the EPA's water-efficiency requirements. In order to qualify to use the WaterSense label, products must be certified by a third-party organization also participating in the WaterSense Program. Certification must be based on demonstrated compliance with recognized national standards and the applicable EPA product specification. As an example, a typical lavatory faucet sold in the U.S. is expected to meet the minimum requirements specified in ASME A112.18.1 and NSF Standard 61, Section 9, as tested and verified by a third-party certification agency. Under the WaterSense program, the same lavatory faucet is required to continue to meet the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and NSF standards with a reduced maximum flow rate as specified in the EPA's High Efficiency Lavatory Faucet Specification. The current EPA specification for lavatory faucets establishes a maximum flow rate of 1.5 gpm when testing is in accordance with procedures outlined in ASME A112.18.1. This represents a 32-percent reduction from the 2.2 gpm established in 10 CFR Part 430 (63 FR 13307; March 18, 1998). Additional WaterSense specifications have been issued for high-efficiency flushing urinals and high-efficiency toilets. Under development are additional specifications for showerheads and weather- or sensor-based irrigation-control technologies. Only third-party certifiers accredited by a signatory to the EPA MOU qualify for recognition under the program. As an EPA-recognized accreditation body, IAS has a program that assesses the competence of certification agencies based on requirements established in:
"Recognition by the EPA is another example of IAS's commitment to actively participate in national initiatives that ensure the best use of our precious natural resources," said IAS President Chuck Ramani. For more information about the EPA's WaterSense Program, including a list of participating certifiers and WaterSense-labeled products, click here. To learn more about IAS's WaterSense accreditation, please contact Ron Coiner, or call IAS at 1-866-427-4422. |
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In May 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the International Accreditation Service (IAS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) by which the EPA recognized IAS as an accreditation body for EPA-licensed product certification agencies. The recognition of IAS accreditation provides certifiers with a creditable, cost-effective approach to satisfying the WaterSense Program requirements.