ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) earlier this month announced that the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Accreditation Committee has voted to expand its accreditation of the ICC-ES/WaterSense PMG Listing Program to include high-efficiency showerheads.
Prior to this scope expansion, ICC-ES's ANSI accreditation included high-efficiency toilets, urinals, and lavatory faucets. Now, with the addition of showerheads, the ICC-ES/WaterSense program is comprehensive and includes a wider range of plumbing, mechanical, and fuel gas (PMG) products.
“Since the program's inception, ICC-ES has worked in tandem with EPA’s [the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s] WaterSense program to offer manufacturers a means to distinguish their water-efficient products in the marketplace,” said Dawn La Fleur-Qualley, ICC-ES PMG certification program manager. “Now, with this additional capability, we expect that ICC-ES will be positioned to add even more value to manufacturers of plumbing fixtures. Even more, this announcement is a direct response to market demand. Our clients and prospective customers have been inquiring about the availability of a showerhead designation for some time. Now we can deliver on that need.”
WaterSense is designed to promote water efficiency with the goal of protecting the nation’s water supply. Any manufacturer wishing to use the WaterSense label must receive a listing from a licensed certifying body such as ICC-ES. A leader in evaluating building products for code compliance, ICC-ES works with WaterSense to offer manufacturers a label that can be used to clearly distinguish products that meet the EPA criteria.
ICC-ES PMG Listings and WaterSense support the International Green Construction Code and California Green Building Standards as well as green rating systems such as the National Association of Home Builders' and ICC National Green Building Standard (ICC 700-2008), the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program, and Energy Star.
The ICC-ES product evaluation program offers a full range of certification activities, including PMG listings and evaluation of sustainable product attributes. ICC-ES PMG can certify products to AB1953, Annex G of NSF/ANSI 6, and the requirements of WaterSense for free.
