Be Sensible About Water Use: Join WaterSense

Water supply planning organization encourages northeastern Illinois municipalities to become members of US EPA’s WaterSense program 

The Northwest Water Planning Alliance, a group representing five councils of government, five counties, and more than eighty municipalities around the Fox River basin, is calling on all member municipalities to become official partners of WaterSense. 
WaterSense, a voluntary partnership program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is both a label for water-efficient products and a resource for helping individuals and municipalities save water. ​

WaterSense partners get access to customizable outreach materials to communicate with the public, connections to a national network of peers, and signal to their communities that they are forward-thinking about water conservation. 

“Becoming a WaterSense partner will help our member communities plan, coordinate, and communicate with members of the public about the importance of water efficiency and conservation,” said David Kaptain, Mayor of Elgin and Chair of the NWPA. “Spreading this message is crucial in reducing individual water use, flattening water demand, and ensuring that dependable supplies of water are available for generations to come. We encourage all member communities to become WaterSense partners.”  

26 NWPA member municipalities, including Aurora, Elgin, St. Charles, and Sugar Grove are already active partners. Visit this link to see what municipalities and local governments are members. If not a member, municipalities can join here. 

The WaterSense label makes it simple to find water-efficient products, new homes, and programs that meet EPA’s criteria for efficiency and performance. WaterSense-labeled products and services are certified to use at least 20 percent less water, save energy, and perform as well as or better than regular models. The average family can save nearly 38,000 gallons of water per year by retrofitting its home with WaterSense labeled fixtures and ENERGY STAR® qualified appliances. 
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“The goal of EPA’s WaterSense program is to help Americans save water and money by offering simple ways to reduce water use though water-efficient product choices and practices,” says Veronica Blette, WaterSense branch chief. “Using water more efficiently can help delay the need to create more supplies, saving communities money and resources, as well as ensuring that water will be available for future generations.”