KBB - January 2009 - (Page 40)

Green Water Sensible EPA program aims at getting designers to go blue Add a new color to the nation’s efforts to be more eco-friendly: blue. Symbolic of saving water, going blue will be a growing trend among the design community if the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has its way. Launched two years ago, the agency’s WaterSense program, which helps consumers to conserve water by labeling water-efﬁcient services and products, has been expanded to include new single-family homes. To qualify, homes must meet a set of guidelines and undergo a certiﬁcation process similar to that of the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED. Vanguard Homes, of Cary, NC, earned the first WaterSense new home certiﬁcation for a concept home in Chapel Hill, NC. “This is a milestone for us as a builder,” said Kip Guyon, president of Vanguard Homes, which is one of seven builders in the pilot program. “It’s so important to maximize homesite integrity, while minimizing environmental impact.” WHAT’S ON TAP Currently, seven builders are involved in the WaterSense New Homes Pilot Program. They are: • Anderson Homes • Aspen Homes • Cleantech Homes • Dorn Homes • Nappier & Turner Construction Co. • Tim O’Brien Homes • Vanguard Homes SAVINGS INSIDE & OUT In keeping with speciﬁcations that WaterSense homes be at least 20 percent more water-efﬁcient than similar homes being built, Vanguard’s features dual-ﬂush toilets, water-conserving faucets and high-efﬁciency showerheads. Energy Star-certiﬁed washers and dishwashers, as well as a hot water circulation system, also help save water, while outside, ecofriendly landscaping and irrigation further reduce water consumption. “Building green means saving green and blue,” said Benjamin H. Grumbles, EPA’s assistant administrator for water. “Water-efﬁcient homes are the wave of the future; they save water, energy and money.” In fact, Grumbles said that homeowners who purchase a WaterSenselabeled home can expect to save more than 10,000 gallons of water a year, as well as realize signiﬁcant energy and ﬁnancial savings resulting from reduced hot water use. Of course, consumers who don’t buy a WaterSense-labeled home (the EPA is expecting 35 to 50 of them to be built in 2009 in various regions) can always do their part by choosing WaterSense-labeled products, each of which is independently tested and certified by a licensed certifying body to meet speciﬁc criteria. The list of designated products is growing and includes lavatory faucets and accessories such as aerators, which cannot ﬂow at a rate of more than 1.5 gallons per minute (gpm), or less than 0.8 gpm, ensuring both water savings and a faucet ﬂow rate that meets the needs of the user. In addition, there are more than 60 high-efﬁciency WaterSense-labeled toilets on the market, and speciﬁcations are currently being developed for showerheads. Although the EPA expects 35 to 50 WaterSense-labeled homes to be built this year, Vanguard Homes’ Briar Chapel concept home in Chapel Hill, NC, is the first. It earned its designation thanks in part to a host of WaterSense-labeled products. For example, the bathroom is equipped with a Mansfield EcoQuantum dual-flush toilet, a Moen 1.5-gpm Rothbury faucet and a Moen Rothbury flow-optimized showerhead. The kitchen and laundry room feature an Energy Star-certified Jenn-Air SteamClean dishwasher and a Whirlpool Dual HT washer, respectively. The home also uses an Energy Star Advanced Lighting package. In addition to being WaterSense labeled, the Briar Chapel concept home is an applicant for gold level certification from the Green Home Builders of the Triangle and the National Association of Home Builders’ Green Building Standard. WHAT’S AHEAD? According to the EPA, while it may seem like there is an abundance of water, only 1 percent is actually available for use. “With the WaterSense program, we’re really trying to help protect the future of the nation’s water supply,” said Grumbles, who added that letting a faucet run for ﬁve minutes requires about as much energy as letting a 60W light bulb run for 14 hours, and that showering is one of the biggest uses of water in the home, representing approximately 17 percent of residential indoor water use, or more than 1.2 trillion gallons of water consumed in the United States each year. Going forward, the EPA hopes to certify more products and, especially, more homes. The seven builders taking part in the WaterSense New Homes Pilot Program are expected to complete the homes and report on the results early this year. Those results will then be used to shape the ﬁnal program. “Through the program, we can lay a strong foundation for environmental progress,” said EPA administrator Stephen Johnson. “As the program encourages installation of products that save water and money, homeowners will realize ﬁrst-hand the beneﬁts of efﬁcient water use.” I —Alexis Barnes 40 + K BB January 2009 / www.kbbonline.com / The Ofﬁcial Sponsor of K/BIS www.kbis.com http://www.kbbonline.com http://www.kbis.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of KBB - January 2009

K+BB - January 2009
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KBB - January 2009