Shanghai — IAPMO R&T was proud to present a WaterSense® seminar at the recently concluded 17th Kitchen and Bath China Exhibition in Shanghai. The IAPMO Representative office in Beijing organized the seminar, which was co‐sponsored by the China Building Ceramic Sanitary Ware Association and the China National Hardware Association.
The May 24 seminar included presentations by WaterSense® Lead Engineer Stephanie Tanner and IAPMO R&T Senior Director of Asia Pacific Operations Jin Luo.
Fifty‐three million products now bear the WaterSense® label, Tanner said in her presentation, resulting in savings of 125 billion gallons of water and $2 billion on energy bills. In addition to giving an overview of the WaterSense® program, Tanner provided updates on the new product notification process, which took effect Nov. 3, 2011, and the revised product certification system, which becomes effective Sept. 29, 2012. She also educated attendees on the proper use of the WaterSense® label and program marks.
Following Tanner’s presentation, many attendees whose products are listed by WaterSense® asked questions to help them understand and follow the new EPA WaterSense® requirements. To view a video of Tanner’s presentation, direct your Web browser to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRp302FA88s. Additionally, Tanner’s accompanying PowerPoint presentation may be seen at http://www.iapmort.org/Documents/Tanner_China_WaterSense_050912.pdf.
Luo outlined the comprehensive services IAPMO offers, the new certification requirements on water efficiency, and the new federal Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act.
“The manufacturers who attended the seminar were very pleased with what they learned, and they really appreciated the opportunity to speak directly with the EPA’s WaterSense® representative and IAPMO R&T’s senior director of Asia Pacific Operations,” said Ms. Simin Wu, director of the IAPMO Representative office in Beijing.
The exhibition, held May 23‐26, is among China’s premier trade events for the bath and kitchen accessories sector, and included relevant professional experts and policymakers.
Developed and promoted by the U.S. EPA, the voluntary WaterSense® program aims to preserve water sources through the use of high‐efficiency water‐consuming plumbing products without sacrificing performance.
IAPMO R&T has been a licensed provider of WaterSense® certification since 2007, certifying the first high‐efficiency toilet (HET) to the standard in April of that year. To date, IAPMO R&T has certified thousands of lavatory faucet, toilet, urinal and showerhead models to the WaterSense® specifications. Products bearing the WaterSense® label must not only save water, but also perform as well as or better than conventional models on the market.
For more information on having products listed, contact Brenda Madonna (brenda.madonna@iapmort.org) at (877) 4‐UPC‐MARK.