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WaterSense

Homes Specification

Homes specs bannerFinal Specification for New Homes (Version 1.2; Effective July 24, 2014)

Version 1.2 of the WaterSense New Home Specification went into effect July 24, 2014. This specification establishes the criteria for homes labeled under the WaterSense program and is applicable to newly constructed single-family and multifamily homes. Version 1.2 contains minor revisions to Version 1.1 that effectively expand the pool of eligible irrigation professionals who can design or install and audit the irrigation system to any irrigation professional certified by a WaterSense labeled program. 

In 2018, EPA initiated work to develop Version 2.0 of the WaterSense homes program. In April 2019, EPA published the draft WaterSense labeled homes program, Version 2.0, which aims to further promote residential water efficiency and help enable market transformation in home construction. EPA is in the process of addressing public comments and refining Version 2.0 of the WaterSense labeled homes program. Learn more.

Version 2.0 WaterSense Labeled Homes Program

In April 2019, EPA released the WaterSense Draft Specification for Homes, Version 2.0, and is in the process of addressing public comments before releasing WaterSense labeled homes program, Version 2.0. The revised specification will: increase flexibility in meeting WaterSense’s technical requirements without compromising on overall water efficiency or performance, improve collaboration with green certification programs and allow for easier implementation and certification. The program revisions will help ensure that WaterSense labeled homes meet minimum water efficiency requirements and promote homeowner satisfaction.

Homes Specification Background Information

The sections below have more information about the homes specification development process, including previous versions, draft specifications, public comments on the draft specification, EPA's response to the public comments, and questions and answers.