The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has honored Kohler Co. with a 2021 WaterSense Sustained Excellence Award — the seventh such award for the company — for its efforts in 2020 to help consumers and businesses conserve water. Kohler was recognized during the WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition in Las Vegas, along with 33 other utilities, manufacturers, builders, retailers, and other organizations that partner with WaterSense to promote water-efficient products, homes, and programs. This recognition marks the twelfth award Kohler Co. has received from the WaterSense program.

Kohler Co.'s various plumbing brands launched nearly 100 WaterSense-labeled products in 2020. From 2007 to 2020, 388 billion gallons of water were saved by KOHLER WaterSense-labeled products in the U.S. Additionally, Kohler Co. demonstrated its commitment to water efficiency by actively participating in WaterSense product specification reviews, and by funding water-efficiency research studies. During the pandemic, the KOHLER Relief Showering Trailer, which features WaterSense-labeled plumbing products, was deployed to temporary field hospitals to refresh and recharge frontline healthcare workers.

These efforts represent some of the passionate work done by the company and its associates within Kohler Believing in Better, the company's sustainability and social impact strategy. It focuses on three pillars: better planet, better communities, and better lives. Within the Better Planet pillar, Kohler's Environmental Sustainability team is reimagining the company's path to reducing Kohler's overall operational environmental footprint, while creating more environmentally favorable and sustainable products and services to preserve a healthy planet. This mission is embedded throughout the company and brands as part of Kohler's overall global operations.

"Developing more efficient ways to use water and creating solutions to enable safe and sustainable use of water is something we are passionate about at Kohler. And we know we are making a positive impact through the work we are doing to protect this crucial resource," said Ratish Namboothiry, Kohler director of innovation for good and sustainability. "We are honored to receive this recognition from the WaterSense program as a testament to our continued commitment toward innovation in water efficiency."

WaterSense, a voluntary partnership program sponsored by EPA, is both a label for water-efficient products and homes and a resource for helping consumers learn ways to save water. Since the program started in 2006, WaterSense-labeled products have helped consumers and businesses save 5.3 trillion gallons of water— enough water to supply all households in the United States with water for 200 days. In addition to water savings, WaterSense has helped reduce the amount of energy needed to heat, pump, and treat water by 603 billion kilowatt hours and save $108 billion in water and energy bills.

"In 2020, our WaterSense partners continued to make saving water possible by educating consumers and businesses about WaterSense and water-efficient behaviors," said Veronica Blette, the WaterSense program manager. "Our award winners' creative and committed approaches to water conservation helped consumers save water, energy, and money on their utility bills at a time when they needed it most."

WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by EPA, seeks to protect the future of the nation's water supply by offering consumers and businesses simple ways to use less water with water-efficient products, homes, and services.