Tools and Resources

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 as a Tool for Water and Land Use Planning (pdf) (256.55 KB)

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.

• Delivering on Efficiency in Charlotte, North Carolina (pdf) (961.12 KB, July 2023)
• Delivering on Efficiency in Denver, Colorado (pdf) (1.13 MB, July 2023)
• Delivering on Efficiency in Las Vegas, Nevada (pdf) (962.51 KB, July 2023)
• Delivering on Efficiency in Orlando, Florida (pdf) (1.02 MB, July 2023)
• Delivering on Efficiency in Phoenix, Arizona (pdf) (1.02 MB, May 2023)
• Delivering on Efficiency in Sacramento, California (pdf) (1.43 MB, May 2023)
• Delivering on Efficiency in Salt Lake City, Utah (pdf) (1.09 MB, May 2023)
• Delivering on Efficiency in San Antonio, Texas (pdf) (1006.18 KB, July 2023)
• Delivering on Efficiency in San Diego, California (pdf) (1.46 MB, May 2023)
• Delivering on Efficiency in Santa Fe, New Mexico (pdf) (1.02 MB, July 2023)

The Water Energy Nexus

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. 

• Hot Water Distribution Product and System Design Solutions
• Guide for Efficient Hot Water Distribution(28 pp, 854 K, About PDF). While the guide was developed to support requirements in version 1 of the homes specification, it remains a useful reference for designing more efficient hot water distribution systems. 
• Hot Water Distribution Volume Calculator - helps calculate how much water a distribution system will store based on pipe characteristics and run length:  Hot Water Distribution Volume Calculator:   ws-homes-hw-volume-tool.xlsm (xlsm) (472.36 KB)

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. 

• Landscape Design and Irrigation System Solutions
• WaterSense Water Budget Tool, used for landscape planning, is also a useful resource to ensure a measure of efficiency and regional suitability for the amount of water applied to a landscape based on local climate data. Although developed to support version 1 of the specification, the tool can also be resource to inform landscape decisions.
• Directory of irrigation professionals certified by a WaterSense labeled program who can design, install, or audit your irrigation system to ensure water efficiency. 

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.